Legend of the guardians
by Nobody01234
Summary: " Why are we, children of this world burdened With such a curse" " I dunno, but there must be a reason" 5 children who were never ment to exist team up with superpowered outcasts and take on nobodies, heartless, Silar, and the keyblade heroes themselves to discover the truth behind their existance. Before they can achieve their goal they must save the very people who dispise them.
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

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**Legend of the Guardians**

**Prologue**

It was a dark place. Nothing but darkness surrounded them. They sat in the realm of nothingness. They were sleeping. Awaiting the day they would escape this unjust prison. They were children who, having just been born into this world, were rejected their right to exist by God and Lucifer himself. And so here they are. Lying in wait, knowing not of their origins, their light shining brilliantly in the darkness around them.

It was here that the goddess found them. She knew they were being treated unfairly do to what they are. And so she also knew that if she released them, their hearts would suffer greatly, for the world and every living thing on it, would despise these few with powers that were not meant to exist. Knowing this, she also knew that they would fight for their right to exist. And, in doing so, would fight to help others who were unjustly fated to fade back into darkness. By doing so they would mend many broken hearts and lead those who are lost to darkness back to the light, even if they too were fated to fall into the abyss of nothingness once again.

The goddess sighed, for she knew of their fate. Yet, she could not stand to watch as the children suffered in their prison. And so she had decided to release them. She smiled sadly, as her green eyes looked upon the children. She knew of their sad fate, but it was for the best, for there were those who were hurting from both the light and the dark and only they could heal their pain. She only hoped that they would become strong enough to overcome the trials ahead of them, for their challenges will not be easy, and their suffering would be bearable.

And so, in all her benevolence she went up to the first boy. She saw that he had a brilliantly strong light as well as a terrible destructive darkness I his heart. However, instead of fighting for control over his heart like she expected, she saw that they worked together to protect the boy from the dark nothingness around him. She smiled and a thought came to her. She decided that until the children turned 5yrs old the Aeons, mystical beings with frightful power from the spirit realm, should raise them as their own. She called upon the mystical realm for the Aeons who were willing to watch over him. Two answered her call. Shinryu, the strongest and most feared of the Aeons decided to teach the boy his wisdom and how to control his power to the best of his ability, while Odin shall teach him the value of honor and the way of the blade. She agreed and let them take him back to their realm where he would learn.

She went to the second child to find that it was also a boy. This boy had a powerful darkness in his heart. A strong light held this darkness back, though small. She frowned knowing he would suffer the most. Again she called upon the Aeons, and again the call was answered. This time the Phoenix, in all her wisdom, decided to teach the boy while the Ifrit decided t toughen him up. The goddess agreed gratefully and let them take him wholeheartedly.

She proceeded to move on to the next child. This on was female and she had little to no darkness in her heart. The goddess smiled at this, for she knew that this girl would help the first two boys with their suffering. She also knew that because of this the boys, in turn, would let no harm come to her. She once again called forth the Aeons and they answered. Shiva, the maiden of ice, decided to teach her the kindness of the world while the other, Alexander, decided to teach her how to use her gifts to help others.

When she was gone the goddess looked upon the last two children and sighed sadly. One was another girl with nothing but darkness in her heart while the last was a boy whose heart was just born. After repeating the process and sending them with their respective Aeons she looked sadly at the light from the portal. With their parting lights she looked on with the hope that someday they could find where they belonged.

With that in mind she said

"Go, little ones. Go to the new world in the hope that you will succeed in changing your fate as well as the fate of others. There are a great many challenges ahead of you, but you must stay strong and remember that you are never alone. Know that I will always be watching over you. Farewell, and until we meet again"

With that she left the dark abyss to return to her own world where she would wait for them.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

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**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

**10 years later**

"huff...huff...damn"

It was dark, that day they met, dark and raining in Midgar. He was 10 years old and had run away from an institute called "the orphanage". He was dressed in an black coat that covered him from head to toe and he was determined to get away. It was an institution that was built specifically for children like him. He wasn't from this world and the story was that 5 years ago, he suddenly appeared falling out of the sky. Everyone watched in amazement as he floated down and landed unharmed. Nobody knew what to do with an unconscious 5 year old, so they called the Shinra company who, in turn called the Turks to investigate. When they got there they were disappointed to find a seemingly normal child lying in the street, but when they asked what happened they were surprised by the story.

It was then that they received orders to take him back to Shinra Labs for study. To say they were shocked at what they found was an understatement. They were mortified to find that this mere child carried within him phenomenal power, and so they spent the next 5 years analyzing, scanning, and studying him to find ways to copy a fraction of that power and apply it to the Soldier program.

The first 4 years weren't that bad, for the boy made a lot of friends in the facility. Most of the staff were nice to him and he liked them. He'd even thought of some of them as family. He enjoyed being with them as well as the other children. However, all of that changed when a Shinra scientist by the name of professor Hojo came and decided to use him in the other children in his maniacal experiments. One kid managed to escape, but the others weren't so lucky. Many of the other children were killed from being torn apart or tortured so Hojo could use their genes to enhance the weapons from Soldier. There many staff members that were against his methods and so they decided to help the boy escape the prison of torture. So, using one of the prototype bikes known as Fenrir, he escaped from the facility.

* * *

"Find him. Don't let him get away!"

The guards were shouting and scrambling all over the place, but that didn't matter to him. What mattered was getting out of the facility. He was running down the corridor until he came upon the testing grounds for Fenrir. He looked around checking for guards. Finding none he made a B-line for the Fenrir. He put the keys in the ignition and listened to it purr.

"There he is! Don't let him escape with the prototype!"

The guards were coming and he didn't have much time. He twisted the accelerator and sped into the night, heading for the main gates. An alarm had sounded behind him and he could hear police sirens behind him so he sped up, hoping to get to the gate before they caught him. When he rounded the corner with Fenrir he stared wide-eyed at the main gate.

The gate was lined with armed gunman from Shinra and all of their weapons were trained on him as he approached. _ Damn_, he thought. He scanned the area quickly before his sky blue eyes landed on a ramp that could help him get over the gate. _That could work!_, he thought. But before he could make a move the gunman lit up the entire area with bullets to prevent his escape. _Che... annoying bastards,_ he thought as he swerved left and right, easily evading the rain of bullets. Once he saw the opportunity to go for the ramp he took it. He made a break for the fence and, using the ramp, made a good jump to the other side.

Once he made it over he took a quick glance behind him to find that they had trouble reopening the gate, courtesy of one of his friends on staff. He smiled at this thought, but that smile soon faded when he saw that Shinra had sent combat helis after him. _Man, they must be getting serious._ At this thought he turned on Fenrir and did a wheely before speeding into the city.

It wasn't long before the helis found him again and unleashed a rain of bullets and a barrage of missiles at him. He evaded the missiles to the best of his ability before one managed to hit the rear tire. Knowing he couldn't save the bike he jumped of into a dark alley and hid in the shadows. He looked down and found a black coat laying on the ground. He decided to use it to blend into the shadows and so he put it on. He pulled the hood up so it covered his face and, hiding the Magnum he found on the bike, walked down the alley away from the wreckage. He was only able to get out to the other side of the alley before he was found by Reno of the Turks.

"Well well well, if it isn't the escape convict. Come back quietly before things get messy" Reno stated with a mischievous smirk.

The boy couldn't help but glare at him. He pulled out the Magnum and was ready to fire when a giant airborne shrunken knocked they gun out of his hand and returned to it's owner.

"Took you long enough Elena." Said woman raised her hand and caught the weapon effortlessly.

"Would have been here sooner if SOMEONE had reported in like they were supposed to."

Before Reno could respond a gruff voice cut in.

"Enough. Finish the mission then fight later"

"Aww, your no fun Rude" the woman known as Elena pouted.

The three looked to each other once more before turning ti the boy who, in turn, was glaring daggers at all of them. The boy didn't want to use his powers so early in the game but he had no choice if he wanted to escape. With that in mind he called upon the power resting in his heart. When he opened his eyes again they were a glowing sky blue. The moment he opened his eyes a powerful whirlwind was created around him. The Turks stared at him wide-eyed, for they were expecting a simple retrieval mission, not a fight. Before they could blink the boy disappeared and reappeared in front of Reno. leaving no time for him to react the boy punched him, sending him through the wall of the building. Elena, who finally recovered from shock, threw her giant shrunken at him only to find that he wasn't there. She sensed something behind her but couldn't react in time and was sent to the floor making a small crater. Rude was sent through the roof and back down again before he could register what happened to his teammates. When the gunmen arrived on scene they found all three needing emergency medical assistance and the suspect missing.

" huff...huff...damn"

Now here he was, on the side of the road, trying to regain his strength. Using his abilities took a lot of energy, energy he didn't have at the moment. He herd sirens and quickly hid in the shadows. Thunder sounded in the distance, signaling it was going to rain soon. Just as the thought crossed his mind it started pouring. "Just my luck" he muttered sarcastically. He took a step deeper into the shadows only for his foot to land on air. "WHAT THE...?" was all he could say before everything went black and he felt himself falling into the abyss below.

* * *

He was falling, more like floating, down into the darkness. It was as if he were sinking in water, simply descending slowly. He didn't know where he was, but he wasn't scared. If fact, it was peaceful. That in itself made him curious as to where he was. He had experienced many emotions in his 10 year old life, but never peace. It was a feeling that always escaped him. No matter where he went, there was always someone or something trying to hurt him. Because of this he hardly had a chance to breath, let alone feel peace. Already he liked this feeling and hoped it wouldn't go away anytime soon. _What is this place?_ he thought to himself. It was then that he felt his descent slowing. He felt himself flip so that he would land on the 'floor' feet first.

Once he landed he felt it safe to open his eyes. He looked at his surroundings to find that he was in absolute darkness, yet somehow he could still see. "Where am I?" he asked the darkness softly. He wasn't expecting an answer so when he got one, he was a little surprised.

_**You are here because you have been chosen.**_

The boy jumped and searched frantically for the voice. Finding nothing he calmed himself. He was sure he had heard the voice, but it was like it wasn't there. Looking around once more, he decided to get some answers and so asked the voice calmly, " What's going on? Who are you?" When the voice responded he kept his cool and listened.

_**I am but a guide that shall lead you on the right path.**_

" What do you mean?"

_**I am here to assist you, for your awakening.**_

"Awakening?"

_**YES**_

"Why me?"

_**You have the power to bring back those lost to the darkness, and protect those of darkness, light, and nothingness. In order to use this power you must fully awaken.**_

"I see."

The boy didn't know what was going on, but if he could use his curse to help people and learn how to fully control his power, he wouldn't pass up a chance. He took a step forward in the darkness, only to be surrounded by a fury of birds and feathers. It was then that a brilliant light shone beneath his feet, temporarily blinding him. He brought his hands up to his face to shield his eyes, the sound of birds were rapidly fading. He removed his arms and opened his eyes to find himself standing on a stain glass platform. A picture of himself was on it and he was holding two key-shaped weapons. As he was examining his picture, three pillars appeared holding three weapons, a staff, a sword, and a shield.

_**In order to move forward you must first choose a path, achieve this by picking a weapon.**_

At this the boy looked to the three weapons. He went over to the sword and the voice said, **_The sword of the warrior This weapon can bring about great power as well as great destruction, is this the path you choose?_**

The boy responded by saying "Maybe" and moved on to the next weapon. He went over to the shield and the voice said, _**The shield of the guardian. This weapon give you the strength to protect others, is this the path you seek?**_

The boy contemplated the offer before shaking his head. He had made his decision and so walked to the center of the platform and raised his arms out to the shield and the sword. He closed his eyes and said, "A shield to protect those I hold dear..." at this the shield went to his left hand and he took it,"...and a sword to defeat those who stand in my way." at this the sword went to his left hand. The boy then opened his eyes and exclaimed determinedly "This is the path I choose!". To this the voice responded,_**V******__ery_ well.At this the staff and the pillars vanished and a giant door appeared. It opened to reveal a brilliant light. Then the voice said, _**Go** **forth,**_and he did so with shield and sword in hand.

_**Never stop seeking the light.**_

He kept walking forward.

_**But be warned.**_

His shadow began to grow.

_**The closer you get to the light...**_

His shadow grew wings.

_**...the greater your shadow becomes.**_

His shadow took shape and was melting out of the stained glass. He turned around at the sound of the noise and his face held the look of pure horror. For the being before him looked like a giant monster version of the Grim Reaper. **(A/N Marluxia's final form). **He turned back around and made a break for the door only to find it gone and him nearly falling off the edge of the platform.

_**But do not be afraid. And don't forget...**_

He regained his balance and turned to face the creature. The weapons in his hands began to glow.

_**You hold the mightiest weapons of all.**_

The light faded he was holding two keyblades The shield had become the Aubade keyblade while the sword had become the Omega weapon. The boy had felt the power of the two keyblades rush through him as well as his own power increase ten fold. He looked to the monster with a confidant smirk on his face and said, "Alright then, lets do this." With that he charged the monster.

It took a swipe at him with his scythe in which he jumped over, effectively evading the blow. He landed on one of it's wings and held on. The monster tried to shake him of but to no avail He took Omega weapon and swiped at the wing, cutting it off. The monster roared in agony and shook him off. As he was falling it disappeared and reappeared behind him. It took it's scythe and swiped downwards. He managed to turn around in time to block the blow but the force of the attack caused him to crash into the stained glass, creating a small crater.

When the smoke cleared he stood up with his eyes glowing, determined to take it down. He disappeared and reappeared atop the scythe. He swiped at the hands holding the scythe and banished his keyblades. Before it could react he took the scythe in both hands and cut off it's wings. The scythe broke on the last wing so he summoned his keyblades. It struck out at him in a desperate attempt to beat him but he was to quick and soon cut off his arms. Then he stabbed the blades in it's skull and sliced it down the middle, effectively defeating it. When he landed the door reappeared and he walked though. As he did the voice said,

**_You are the one who will open the door._  
**

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The boy woke up in the ally he had left. Only one went through his mind. _What the hell!? _


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

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******Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 2: Meeting**

The boy woke up in the ally he had left. Only one thought went through his mind. _What the hell!?_ He checked his surroundings and, seeing where he was, heaved a sigh of relief. Several questions plagued his mind as he continued down the alley away from the main street. _What was that?,_ he thought. _Was that real or just a dream? I wonder... _At this he stopped and looked at his hands. He remembered the feel of the blades in his hands and the power they possessed. He remembered the thrill of fighting something from another world and the control he had over his abilities. Most of all he remembered the voice and how it sounded so familiar. _'You hold the greatest weapons of all' huh?_ At this thought he stretched his hands out from his sides and tried to summon the blades again. He heard a clang of metal and looked to his hands to find the keyblades resting firmly in them. Out of utter shock he dropped them causing them to disappear in a flash of light and darkness. _Okay, it defiantly wasn't a dream_, he thought as he continued his trek down the alley way.

As he continued to walk he saw a faint light at the end of the ally way and went through an opening to find himself in a debris filled building. The were large pieces of rock that had fallen from the ceiling and columns were spread around the area. As he looked around he saw the that walls were still standing in all the destruction as well as a few pillars. He also found an exit and was about to leave when he heard someone call out to him.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" commanded a voice.

He turned around and summoned the keyblades, expecting to fight a few gunman, but instead he was faced with fighting not only them but Soldier operatives as well. He got over his shock quickly and closed his eyes. When they opened they revealed a glowing sky blue. The wind picked up around him causing him to float. The men saw this and opened fire, but he was too quick and glided through the air, effortlessly evading the rain of bullets.

He then got close to one of the gunman and threw the Aubade at him. The blade cut through both sword and man before returning to his owners hand who was now battling a Soldier operative. While they clashed blades another Soldier tried to sneak up on him only to be cut in half by a blade made of the wind. The boy pushed the man he was fighting back and cut him down with a diagonal swipe.

He looked up just in time to block the downward swipe of another operative. He swiped with Omega weapon just to have it blocked Seeing his chance as his blade locked with that of the Soldier he side swiped with Aubade downing the man. He looked over to find more gunmen then before and so backed behind a pillar, knowing he wouldn't be able to evade all of the bullets. He looked at his surroundings and found an opening to a tunnel that was free from debris He took a quick glance at the gunmen to find the armed with rocket launchers. Cursing he made a break for the opening as the fired at the pillar he hid behind moments before. The explosion gave him enough time to slip into the tunnel and blast the wall to block the entrance and cover his escape. He was safe, for now.

Not knowing What to do next he decided to walk down the tunnel to see where it leads. After dismissing the keyblades he began his exploration of the tunnels knowing that he couldn't stay lest he get caught. He didn't find much on the exploration, just sewer water, maybe a rat here and there but nothing interesting, so he quit his exploration and decided to find a way out.

He had been walking for hours now still searching for an exit unsure of what he would find when he reached it. It was then that he found a light at the end of the tunnel but the dim light only lasted for a second before bursting with life as if by flames. As he got to the end of the tunnel he saw little creatures of darkness burst into flame and be cut down by another wielder. It was a boy no older than his age. He couldn't see his face for he had been wearing the same coat as the boy. As the figure destroyed another heartless one tried to sneak up on him only to be cut down by the Aubade. The boy looked to the figure only to see his eyes staring back with his hand engulfed in flame.

"Your like me." the boy stated. The figure said nothing and simply closed his palm to extinguish the flame. The boy was surprised to find another like himself, another who didn't belong in the world they were brought into. It was then the boy realized that the figure that was standing before him must have been the child that escaped from the orphanage a year before him. That was also when he noticed that it started raining.

"What's your name?"the boy asked. Lightning flashed across the sky and in that instant their figures changed. the boy looked older and had an Organization coat. He had blue jeans and a white cloth covered all but his face. His eyes were glowing and he had 2 pairs of angel wings, 2 white and 2 black. The other kid also looked older. He had 2 demon horns and flaming claws for hands and feet. He wore a Black sleeveless tee, black pants, black jordans and a black trench coat that covered him from head to toe. When the light faded they went back to their original forms.

As the light faded the figure replied "The name the human gave me is Jay, I know not of my true name."

They sat in silence, staring at each other while one examined the other. The rain stopped as if the clouds were listening to them. After a few minutes Jay broke the silence.

"Why are we, children of this world burdened by such a curse?" As he said this he ignited his hand in flame once again.

They fell into silence once again as the boy contemplated what Jay had asked. After what seemed like an eternity he replied, "I dunno, but there must be a reason." At this answer Jay's face held a look of disappointment and he closed his palm to extinguish the flame. The boy saw this and said.

"Why don't we look for the answer together?" At this Jay no longer looked disappointed but instead somewhat confused. The boy held his hand out to Jay.

"If anyone gets in our way, we'll take 'em all on." he said with a smirk. At this jay smiled and shook the boy's hand. When they were done shaking hands, Jay suddenly thought of something for he knew nothing of the boy before him and so asked, "What's your name?

"The name the humans gave me is Jake." Jake replied.

"And your true name?" Jay asked.

"My true name is..." but before he could finish he saw a creature of darkness creep up on Jay and summoned the Aubade. "LOOK OUT!" he shouted as he threw his keyblade at it, effectively obliterating it in a puff of black smoke. He noticed more creatures coming out of the ground and summoned the Omega Weapon. Jay noticed them as well and summoned his own blades. One was a keyblade with a handle similar to that of Bond of Flame. The shaft resembled Two Become One while the teeth and the key-chain resembled phoenix feathers. the entire blade was red. The other blade was a demon blade that was bigger than Jay himself. It was covered in red carvings and bathed in flames.

They were back to back and surrounded by Neoshadows. Lightning flashed across the sky and the first wave attacked. The Neoshadows launched themselves at the two only to be cut down before they could land a hit. Jake swiped left and right, making sure that each swing downed at least three creatures at once. He left nothing but clouds of darkness in his wake. Jay defeated all that stood in his way. If his blade missed he would blast them with fire.

The two of them defeated wave after wave of Neoshadows, never once showing fatigue or mercy. They were careful not to hit each other as they defeated droves upon droves of the the creatures. The battle seemed endless for when a Neoshadow was cut down it seemed that seven more would take it's place. The duo started to grow tired and when the creatures numbers dwindled even larger creatures known as Darksides and Darkfollowers appeared to finish the job.

The duo refused to give up, however, and once the Neoshadows were gone they moved on to the Darksides. There were two Darksides and three Darkfollowers and so the duo decided to each take on a Darkside. When Jake got close the creature it threw a punch at him. He dodge-rolled out of the way and jumped just as the large fist collided with the ground. He landed on the fist and ran for the head. The creature shook him off by throwing him in the air, then it launched a volley of dark spheres at him. As he fell through the air, he evaded the barrage and homed in on the creature. He landed on it's shoulder and, with one quick stroke, cut off it's head and jumped off as it collapsed to the ground. As he was falling he launched a ball of light at it for good measure and watched it fade into darkness. When he landed he moved on to his next target, a Darkfollower.

Jay wasted little effort to destroy the Darkside. When it attacked he rolled out of the way just as the fist collided with the ground. Then he cut the hand off and watched it fade into darkness. The creature screamed in agony and anguish but before it could strike Jay, deciding he had enough, launched a giant fireball to the point just above the heart-shaped hole in it's chest, obliterating it.

As it faded into darkness Jay moved on to the Darkfollower that was moving to attack him. His eyes started to glow red and before the creature could get close it was engulfed in a giant pillar of flame. It's screams of agony filled the area as it faded to darkness. Jay felt nothing but pity for the creature and before he knew his face was stained with blood, but it was not blood from an injury. The blood that stained his face were that of his tears, the tears of a demon. When the black mist from the creature faded he dismissed the flame and his eyes stopped glowing. He took cloth from his pocket and cleaned his face. When he was done he looked over to Jake to find him finishing his fight with the Darkfollower with a ball of light to the head. _That only leaves one,_ he thought as he looked to the last Darkfollower. Before either of them could reach it, however, it was cut down.

As the creature faded they looked behind it to find someone neither had prepared for. He had long silver hair and an impossibly long sword. He was viewed as the best at Soldier and he was known as a hero in Midgar. To them, however, he is a executioner sent to either kill them or contain.

"Sephiroth!?" the duo exclaimed, shocked.

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Me: What do you think? Read and review please!


	4. Chapter 3

******disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 3: Real or not**

...

_As the creature faded they looked behind it to find someone neither had prepared for. He had long silver hair and an impossibly long sword. He was viewed as the best at Soldier and he was known as a hero in Midgar. To them, however he is a executioner sent to either kill them or bring them back alive._

_"Sephiroth!?" the duo exclaimed, shocked._

_..._

Sephiroth merely looked over his opponents before drawing his blade, the Murasame. Jay's eyes started glowing, for he could sense the danger coming from the man and so he knew that, at this point, a fight was unavoidable. He also knew that his blades wouldn't be enough and so called upon his power. "Ifrit..." he said, "lend me your strength." As he finished that sentence a pillar of flame engulfed him. Seeing this Sephiroth attacked Jay hoping to stop him before he could power up, but when he swiped through the flame he found nothing.

He turned around just in time to block Jay's swift strike from behind. He saw that Jay didn't use his blades to attack but claws that were engulfed in flame. There was no emotion on Jay's face and Sephiroth felt a dangerous aura around the boy. Because of this, he forced the boy away and flipped back to the top of a random building to examine his opponent. He wasn't able to get a good evaluation of his opponent, however, before Jay vanished. He turned around and was able to block Jay's blow but the power of the attack forced him though three city blocks worth of buildings, effectively demolishing them.

He stood, unfazed by the attack, and looked to the boy who was floating in midair. _Hn, this will be fun,_ was all he thought as Jay closed the distance between them. Sephiroth brought out Murasame just as Jay swiped with his claw and the collision caused a shock-wave that destroyed two more city blocks. Sephiroth then forced Jay away and sped after him. Jay stopped flying in midair and sped to meet Sephiroth. When they clashed they traded blows at a frightening speed, both are striking relentlessly and viciously to take down their opponent.

Jake watched the battle nervously. he was about to go help Jay when a voice stopped him.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess." it said. He summoned his blades and turned around just in time to block a yellow fireball. He looked to his attacker only to find two more people he didn't want to see. One had fiery red hair and blue eyes while the other had spiky black hair, blue eyes, and a sword larger than he was.

"We seek it thus and take to the sky." it was the red haired man who had spoken.

"The wondering soul knows no rest."

"loveless: act 1" said the man with the spikes.

"indeed" replied the other man. He then turned to Jake and said, "let your wandering soul rest and return to the place whence you came."

Jake glared at the two. _Genesis and Angeal, damn we're in serious trouble if they sent the elites from Soldier after us. At this point a fight is unavoidable._ He thought about his options and a means for the two of them to escape but came up empty. He couldn't give up after having come this far. He was left with no alternative, he had to fight to get them out of there. He closed his eyes and called upon his power. _Odin, lend me your blade._ In that instant a tornado engulfed Jake. He opened his eyes to reveal glowing sky blue and his blades were replaced by Odin's.

"I'd rather die and face god's judgement than go back to that facility." He said with determination. His face became emotionless as the wind died down a bit. He was calm and ready to face his opponents.

"Is that so? If that is your choice." Genesis said with a smirk. He then took his blade from it's scabbard and ran a hand over it, igniting it in red flame.

"Remember, our job is to bring him back alive." Angeal said as he readied his Buster sword.

"Noted." was all Genesis said before launching at Jake. Jake blocked the attack but the force created a small crater. Jake seemed unfazed and, with a flick of the wrist, sent him flying back. Genesis stopped only a few feet away before charging again. This time they traded blows and Genesis delivered an upward swipe that sent Jake flying upward. He jumped in the air and they traded blows once again. Again Genesis sent him flying. When he thought Jake was high enough he launched a volley of fireballs at him. Jake tried to deflect them but there were too many and thus was engulfed in yellow flame.

Genesis smirked, thinking the battle was over, but before he could celebrate the ball of flame exploded outward causing a shock-wave that forced him toward the ground. He looked to the sky only to find a blur and the next thing he knew, he felt excruciating pain in his chest and he was heading to the ground. The impact created a large explosion and a shock-wave that almost knocked Angeal off his feat. When he looked in the smoke he saw a pair of glowing blue eyes. When the smoke cleared he saw Jake standing above Genesis preparing to deal a finishing blow, but before he could strike Angeal intervened by smacking him aside with his sword.

"Are you alright?" he asked, never taking his eyes off Jake, while taking his battle stance.

"Never better." Genesis muttered sarcastically as he stood up and also took his battle stance.

Little did any of them know that the battle was being watched by a man shrouded in darkness. The man snapped his fingers and said, "Let the games begin."

* * *

Meanwhile Jay and Sephiroth were at a standstill. They stood 30ft away from each other and were equally exhausted, though Sephiroth didn't show it.

"You fight well." he said.

"As do you" Jay replied, panting.

"You were trained well, but I'm afraid this duel must end. Let us end this childish." Sephiroth stated while getting into a battle stance.

"You read my mind." Jay said with a smirk while getting ready for an attack.

Sephiroth sped towards his target, intending to finish this in one swift move. When they clashed, however, he was greeted with a fury of black feathers. He looked around to find that Jay was nowhere to be seen. He sensed for his presence, only to find that it wasn't there. Jay had vanished without a trace. With that thought in mind he said disappointingly,

"Perhaps we should finish our duel another time." With that he, too, vanished in a furry of feathers.

* * *

Angeal and Genesis were preparing to end this as well and so tried to strike Jake together, but they too only met a fury of feathers. He and Genesis looked around to find no trace of their opponent. _An illusion?_. He looked to Genesis to find him staring back, probably thinking the same thing. In a flash Sephiroth appeared before them.

"Your's too?"Angeal asked. He merely nodded.

"Any ideas?"asked Genesis.

"No, but at the time of their disappearance I sensed another powerful presence nearby." he replied.

"You too, huh?"said Angeal.

"It seems that there is another player in this game of ours, one who desires the gift of the goddess."

"Yes, but who?"

As the three were talking the man shrouded in darkness opened a Dark corridor with a smirk and stepped through, the portal fading behind him.

* * *

Jake saw that his opponents were going to strike together and so prepared himself, but when they were about to collide, his opponents and the world around him faded away. He stood there baffled as the world around him blew away like sand in the wind and was soon replaced by a world shrouded in darkness. He looked around him and found Jay a few feet away with the same confused expression on his face. They both had a lot of questions running in there heads but first they had to get their bearings.

They looked around to find that they were on a beach in a world covered in darkness. The only source of light in the world came from the moon high above the margin. There were stones that were shaped like arcs and the two felt an ominous aura coming from this strange world. It was then that they heard a strange sound and they turned around to find a man in a black leather coat that covered his body from head to toe. Behind him, three other figures came through the portal before it vanished. The duo looked to each other before turning to the figures ahead of them. Jake took two steps forward and asked a question that had been on his mind since he saw the men step through the portal.

"Who are you?" At this the first to have come from the portal stepped forward and removed his hood to reveal a smirking elderly man who had a short white beard on his face.

"Greetings, my old friends..."he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence."It's been quite a while since I've seen you." At this Jay's eyes narrowed, his distrust of the man growing by the second.

"Have we met before?"Jake asked.

"Not yet, but we will in the very near future." the man said. When the man said this Jake became even more confused._ In the near future? What does he mean?_ He was going to voice his thoughts but decided against it. It would only confuse him more and he needed answers, not more questions.

"Are you the one that brought us here?" he asked instead.

"Indeed." the man answered.

"Why?" he asked.

"To test you. I want to see how strong you are."the man said with a smirk. The duo summoned their weapons and prepared for battle. Before they could get close, however, the man lifted a hand summoning a wind that held a force so strong it sent them flying through the air. As they flew the world around them faded once again. It was replaced by a cliff-side in a barren wasteland. When the wind calmed down they found themselves on their feet in the strange new world. They checked out their new surroundings before looking to where they last saw the man, only to find the last two to exit the portal standing before them. What shocked them however was the fact that the figures each had a pair of black angel wings and held a scythe. The duo readied themselves and the Reapers came at them with unheard of speed. The test had begun.

The Reapers struck relentlessly and viciously. They were swift and efficient in delivering their blows and soon enough the duo found themselves on the defensive. The Reapers left little to no openings and because of this, they could only land a few blows before going back to blocking their swift strikes. After what seemed like hours of blocking and striking, Jake developed a strategy for defeating their opponents, but he would need Jay's help. He looked over to his friend, only to find him struggling with his opponent as well. _It's now or never,_ he thought. He then forced his opponent away and got some distance between them. A second later he called upon his powers and within seconds his eyes were glowing.

As the Reaper sped toward him he vanished and reappeared next to the Reaper attacking Jay. Without a moments hesitation he kicked it's face, sending it flying to the sky. The Reaper Jake was fighting closed in on him but before it could strike Jay blocked it with Phoenix wing and sent it flying as well. The two nodded to each other before jumping after their opponents. They fought in the air for a few moments before sending their opponents crashing to the ground, creating two large explosions.

The man looked upon the battle with disappointment, for he thought that by now the children would have grasped a piece of their full potential. He needed to make them stronger if he planned to use their full strength for the plan ahead. With that in mind he snapped his fingers and continued to watch the battle unfold.

When the two landed, they looked to the clouds of dust for any sign of their opponents. Seeing nothing they heaved a sigh of relief and looked to the old man to find him smiling. Before they could question this, the earth beneath them shook violently. As they tried to regain their balance, a giant pillar of darkness shot up into the sky. They looked at the pillar in horror as a powerful beast emerged from the pillar bearing dark angel wings and a massive blade, followed closely by an army of Reapers. They knew that even with their powers they would have a difficult time escaping these odds, and so they got into their battle stances.

They merely glanced at each other before sending a barrage of fireballs and orbs of light at the Reapers. The Reapers, however, evaded the barrage and attacked in waves. The duo were left on the defensive, guarding themselves, back to back, against the furious strikes of the Reapers. After a few more strikes Jay got frustrated and so created a pillar of flame that kept growing until it obliterated the Reapers.

The man looked at the battle with disappointment for they were stronger but not at the speed he had previously expected. They were progressing much to slowly, and at the rate they were growing he would have to wait another decade for his plans to continue. _Perhaps we should take a different approach. _ With that he snapped his fingers and disappeared into darkness.

When the last of the Reapers were destroyed the duo looked to where the man was standing only to find a dark portal disappearing. They looked to the Angel of Darkness to find, to their utter shock, that there was not one but two who were staring back with their hoods covering their faces. The angels lifted their hands and darkness started to pool from them. Wisps of darkness made their way around the heroes until the darkness blocked out the rest of the world. The duo kept their guard up as the wisps surrounded them and then faded away to reveal a new world. The were standing before a large building with neon lights. The sky was dark without a single star. As they looked around they found themselves in the middle of the neon lit city.

They looked to the top of the skyscraper and found the angels staring back down at them, as if challenging the duo to join them. Jake and Jay only took a quick glance at each other before running up the side of the building to reach their opponents. Before they could reach the halfway point a dark corridor appeared on the side of the building and the two angels stepped out of it as it faded to darkness. At that moment it was as if gravity had no longer existed and the two stopped 20ft away from them.

They heard a noise and turned around to find the man stepping out of another portal 30ft away from them. Jake took a few steps back until he found himself tripping over something. When he looked to the ground, his face took on the look of pure horror as he looked at the body before him. He looked around to see that the scenery had changed from a world with nothing to a world full of chaos. The sky's were ablaze and the ground was littered with the bodies of men, women and children. He stood up and looked upon the people with sadness and fear.

"Beings of both light and darkness." At his voice the duo looked to him with sadness and anger.

"Released from the darkness and raised by beings of the light. Not only that but you have a powerful weapon that is not yet known to the world. these qualities make you the most powerful beings to ever exist and essential to my plans. However, this power comes with a price as you see before you." at this Jake's face showed pure shock while Jay's held a look of frustration.

"You mean...we did this? Jake asked fearfully.

"What you see before is indeed the future but it is only one of many different realities, you can still save this place or you can choose to destroy it. The choice is yours and yours alone."with that Jake sighed with relief.

"However, are you really willing to protect them? People who wouldn't hesitate to erase your existence?" the man asked.

The question took Jake aback. He would admit that he still has a slight hatred for the people who kept him in that facility, so was he really willing to protect a people who tortured him? He thought about the experiments and the pain he felt. He remembered professor Hojo and his assistants. He remembered the screams of the other kids as they were examined, dissected and torn apart. Most of all he remembered his friends dying before his eyes and his hatred for Hojo.

It was then that he remembered the friends he made in the facility. The fun he had there, the nice staff and even those who helped him escape. He looked to the body before him on the ground and decided. Sure there were those who were dark and deserved to pay, but no one deserved a fate like this, no one deserved to feel pain or anger or sadness. No one deserved to die. He looked to Jay to find him staring back expectantly and determinedly. He then looked to the man with a certain fierceness in his eyes.

"It's true that I still hold a grudge against Shinra and the humans that treated us like monsters..." the man listened intently.

"...however, they also helped us realize our strength and some even watched over us like our parents, and so... we choose to protect them."

The man frowned in disappointment and snapped his fingers. The world around them once again vanished and was replaced by a cliff side overlooking a kingdom. It was radiant and peaceful with gardens spread everywhere. They looked around and saw that they had returned to the past, before the place fell to ruin. They looked back at the man to find him in a pool of darkness.

"I must say, you disappoint me." he said. At this the duo summoned their keyblades and got ready for a fight.

"I'll admit, I was hoping that you would destroy this place so I wouldn't have to." as he said this the darkness left him and entered the angels.

"So your the one who caused so much death and destruction?! WHY?!" Jake screamed angrily.

"It's simple, the people that live here are a hindrance to my plans, so I disposed of them." the man replied simply. He then turned to the angels and commanded, "Destroy it all." They simply nodded in understanding as he left using a portal. It was then that the ground began to shake violently and the duo got into their battle stances as the Angels were engulfed in a giant pillar of darkness. Jake took one last look at the city before glancing at Jay. After seeing his determined expression he turned to the pillar with determination as well. The pillar then fluctuated and from it sprouted thousands upon thousands of Reapers.

The duo looked to each other before Jay smirked and Jake smiled. They may not know if they would survive this battle, but one thing they were sure of is that they were going to protect the Kingdom no matter what. They then looked into the mass of Reapers and sent out a barrage of fireballs and orbs of light while creating a large barrier to protect the kingdom. The Reapers, however, were able to get past the barrage and soon the duo found themselves using their keyblades. After hours of of defeating countless enemies, the duo was overwhelmed and out numbered so they called upon their powers.

As if sensing the use of their powers, the pillar began to shrink and soon became a small portal in the hands of a being that was stronger than the angel. It was three times the size of a Reaper and had four black wings. It carried a scythe the size of a skyscraper and wore the same coat as the Angels. As the duo was occupied with the Reapers the Death God looked upon the battle field before momentarily closing the portal in it's hand and using the darkness to manipulate the feathers of the defeated Reapers.

The feathers then transformed into glowing orbs of darkness and, with a stroke of his hand, they smashed the barrier surrounding the city. Jake saw this and tried to set up another barrier but before he could the orbs of darkness attacked him. He screamed in agony, for when each orb hit the impact caused small explosions of energy. He could nothing but cry out as the orbs tuned into blades and struck him swiftly, viciously, and relentlessly.

"JAKE!?" Jay yelled as he tried to reach for his friend. Before he could reach him, however, he was struck by one of the Angels. As he flew a few feet back He took this chance to look up and see the Angels standing in his way, as if ordering him not to interfere. He growled at them in frustration and anger as he could only hope that he would be able to help his friend in time.

Meanwhile the Reapers have begun their attack on the city and they left nothing untouched. Within minutes the kingdom was ablaze and the duo could only watch helplessly as it was destroyed. As Jake recovered from his devastating punishment, the Death God appeared before him and grasped his neck. It lifted him into the air as he tried desperately to get much needed air into his suffocating lungs, but to no avail. It squeezed until he stopped struggling and, once it was sure he was dead, tossed the body over the edge of the cliff like a rag doll and reopened the portal. Jay could only watch in horror as his friend fell over the edge. He stood there, mortified as the angels delivered a series of blows he couldn't feel anymore. For once in his entire life, he shed his tears for a lost friend.

* * *

It was dark, so much darkness, nothing but darkness. He felt nothing, saw nothing, and heard nothing. It was as if he was in a void and empty space, as if the worlds have abandoned him and left him to rot in this place. He should be feeling something. Doing something, but he couldn't remember what it was. He new he should be feeling something from this place, fear, that was it. He should be scared of this place but instead he felt calm, as if there was someone watching over him. With that thought in mind he opened his eyes to find himself curled up in the protective embrace of a young woman who looked no older than 20 or 18.

The image was blurry but he could make out what appeared to be six white angel wings. He looked to her face to find her smiling at him and he couldn't help but smile in return. She started to speak to him and the sound of her voice was starting to make him lose consciousness. Her voice was soft and warm like that of a loving mother and it made him feel relaxed and secure.

"The time has come for you to truly awaken, young one. Go forth and take good care of the others."she said. Before he lost consciousness he heard another voice that was faint and almost nonexistent.

**A shattered dream that's like a far off memory, a far off memory that's like a shattered dream.**

**I want to line the pieces up...**

**...yours and mine.**

* * *

Jay did his best to hold back the invasion while also fighting the angels. After a few hours of fighting he was on his knees exhausted. Behind him the city was in ruins and most of the people turned into heartless. He looked upon the bleak world with a sense of hopelessness, knowing that, in the end, they failed. _Is this it?_ he asked himself. The Reapers surrounded him as the Angel prepared to deliver the final blow. _Is this the way we die? Does all we've done, how far we've come mean nothing?_

As the angel raised it's blade and prepared to strike, time itself seemed to slow to the point of stopping. Jay closed his eyes and as he waited for the end thought with a smirk. _I guess, it's finally over._ After what seemed like an eternity he heard a voice he knew all too well. _"Why don't we look for the answer together? And if anyone gets in our way, we'll take them all on." That's right, we made a promise. We promised that no matter what we would figure out the reason behind our existence._

Jay felt the last of his strength building inside of him. _I can't give up now._ The power within him started to grow exponentially. _We have promise to keep so we can't afford to die here._His body began to glow red._ It's because of that promise that I know you aren't dead yet. _The Angel brought it's blade down slowly as a large magic circle formed around Jay in an instant. In the circle was the letter X with demon wings. The same symbol formed on the back of his right hand. _I can't take on this many alone, so I need you to get up._ The blade came closer. _I know you can hear me, get up!_ No response. _JAKE, GET UP DAMN IT!_ As he tried to reach out to his friend, time returned to normal and the blade was ever close to ending Jay's life. Before the blade could deliver the final blow, however, the earth below shook violently causing the Angel to stop it's attack to regain it's balance. It was then that a huge pillar of golden light exploded from the ground a few feet away from the cliff and it created a shock wave that destroyed the Reapers attacking the city.

When Jay saw this he looked to the pillar for any sign of his friend. What he saw, however, was the ghostly form of Shinryu, the strongest of the Aeons. _Good, that means you haven't given up yet._ Jay knew that seeing the illusion of Shinryu meant that Jake had finally unlocked it's power. He looked to the beings of darkness with new found determination before closing his eyes once again._ I wont give up either. _At this thought he opened his eyes and the energy that had been slowly building within him exploded from his body in the form of red flames. The flames annihilated the Reapers as a pillar of red light erupted from the magic circle.

Jay stood and looked at the light around him. His question was answered when he saw one of the very beings that raised him for the first five years of his life. He smirked and called out to the creature before him, asking for it's help. "PHOENIX!" The Phoenix screeched determinedly before becoming a beam of light that merged with Jay. The moment they touched Jay's body was engulfed in flames and he could feel it's power merging with his own. He then looked to his back to find that it's wings had sprouted from it. He then turned to his opponents as the pillars dies down to simple flames in the dirt.

"Time for some payback!" was all he said before he attacked one of the Angels with unheard of speed. He struck quickly and relentlessly and within seconds it was sent to the ground causing a giant explosion, forming a crater with a 5 mile radius. The other Angel attacked him but only met the same fate. He only took a moment to celebrate his victory before something large and dark caught his attention. He looked to the Death God to find it holding a dark-ball the size of a large boulder. "Damn, I forgot about him." was all he said before he made for the dark creature. He charged his keyblade full of red energy and struck only to be blocked by a barrier of darkness. "What the...!?" was all he could say before the shock of the impact sent him to the ground creating a small crater.

He stood and looked to the being to find the ball of darkness growing in size. before he could take a step forward, a small orb of darkness was sent towards him. He flew back to avoid the strike and searched fer his attacker only the find the angels he had beaten earlier. _Give me a break already!_ The Death God, seeing no more distractions, threw the ball at he city. Jay saw this and tried to intercept but was stopped by the Angels. Just before it could destroy the city it exploded in midair. The Death God looked on in surprise for from the smoke emerged a figure with two white angel wings and two keyblades. Jay smirked as he saw what happened and could only hope his suspicions were correct.

"Jake." he said with a smirk.


	5. Chapter 4

**********disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 4: Radiant Garden**

_"Time for some payback!" was all he said before he attacked one of the Angels with unheard of speed. He struck quickly and relentlessly and within seconds it was sent to the ground causing a giant explosion, forming a crater with a 5 mile radius. The other Angel attacked him but only met the same fate. He only took a moment to celebrate his victory before something large and dark caught his attention. He looked to the Death God to find it holding a dark-ball the size of a large boulder. "Damn, I forgot about him." was all he said before he made for the dark creature. He charged his keyblade full of red energy and struck only to be blocked by a barrier of darkness. "What the...!?" was all he could say before the shock of the impact sent him to the ground creating a small crater. He stood and looked to the being to find the ball of darkness growing in size. Before he could take a step forward a small orb of darkness was sent towards him. He flew to avoid the strike and searched fer his attacker only the find the angels he had beaten earlier. Give me a break already! The Death God, seeing no more distractions, threw the ball at the city. Jay saw this and tried to intercept but was stopped by the Angels. He watched hopelessly as it closed in on the kingdom, but just before it could destroy the city it exploded in midair. The Death God looked on in surprise for from the smoke emerged a figure with two white angel wings and two keyblades. Jay smirked as he saw what happened and could only hope his suspicions were correct._

_"Jake." he said with a smirk._

* * *

A few miles away the man shrouded in darkness smiled as the battle progressed. Behind him, a portal opened and another man stepped from the darkness. He was wearing the same organization coat and had his hood up so no one could see his face. "Good of you to come here and see the moment of our plans move forward, Void." the man shrouded in darkness stated.

"Enough with the pleasantries. How are they progressing?" Void replied.

"Far better than we had anticipated. Soon, they will be strong enough to open the door and give us the power we crave."

"You'd better be right about this. We're putting our faith in your plan so that we can make **Them** pay. Nothing more, nothing less. Remember that." with that Void vanished in a cloud of darkness.

"Don't worry my friends, our time will come soon." with that he returned to watching the battle unfold.

* * *

A few minutes earlier...

**"**** Time has come for you to truly awaken, young one..." **It was dark, nothing but darkness.

**"Go forth and take good care of the others." **He was falling, he was sure of that, falling into a dark abyss that was waiting to swallow him.

**_A shattered dream is like a far off memory, a far off memory becomes a shattered dream._ **He heard something soft, almost non-existent.

_**I want to line the pieces up...**_ the noise got louder, he could hear the wind rushing past his ears. **Wait a minute, wind?**

_**...yours and mine.**_

His eyes flew open and he found himself speeding to the ground. He looked to the city to find it in flames. The reapers were destroying everything in their path and he could only watch helplessly as the people were turned into Heartless. He sighed to himself and time slowed down. _I guess i wasn't able to save it after all._ He knew that he wouldn't be able to survive this fall and so he closed his eyes and patiently awaited his end. He waited and waited, but the impact never came. It was the that he heard a voice desperately crying out to him.

_**HELP ME, PLEASE.** _The voice startled him and he opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by light. When the light faded he flipped himself over so that he would land on his feet. When he landed he saw a place that was all to familiar to him. The picture of the stained glass beneath his feet held the castle in all it's glory as well as an outer circle that had pictures of the kingdom's monarchs.

_**Can someone please help me?**_Again the voice startled him and he searched the area for the source, only to find nothing but white. He then called out to the voice, hoping for the answer as to how he got here.

"Hello?" he asked.

_**You heard my call?! Thank the heavens.** _The voice replied.

"Who are you?"

_**I am the world's heart. I have been calling out to the light for the one who could aid me in my troubles.**_

"That must have been the light that brought me here. Tell me, why do you cry to the heavens?"

_**I am dying. This world has been attacked by the darkness and it's people are suffering it's effects. Because of this, the light that has protected me for so long has begun to diminish. If that light vanishes the darkness will consume me and this world will be lost to oblivion. **_

"Is there anything that can be done to stop it?"

**_The light of this world come from the people, especially children. If you can get rid of the darkness infesting their hearts the light will return and the door to this domain will be sealed._**

"How do I do THAT?! I don't have that kind of power!"

**_I sense the power within you, you just have to release_ it.** It was then that a blinding light shrouded the world he was in.

"WAIT, HOW DO I RELEASE IT?" but it was too late and soon he found himself back in the kingdom.

"Well that was informative." he stated sarcastically. He then looked to the city to fond it in flames. He was extremely saddened by the sight, and worse still he felt completely useless.

"At this rate, this world will fall too darkness. What should i do?" he asked himself sadly as he looked on with utter sadness. _Wait a minute, sadness? Helplessness?! Since when did I start thinking like an idiot! That's not like me at all._ As he thought this a magic circle appeared beneath him with a shield and an X in the middle. _I'm not helpless, if I was I wouldn't have made it this far._ The circle grew and caused the ground under him to star shaking. The circle itself started to glow a golden light. _I've already come this far, there's not a chance in HELL I'm giving up on myself now!_ At this he looked to the kingdom with determination as golden color exploded from the circle and engulfed him in light. He looked curiously at the light that surrounded him while at the same time placing his hand over his heart. It was then that he felt as if something was unlocked within him and he stared at the circle with shock as he discovered that this phenomenal power came from his heart.

_I can feel it. I can feel the power flowing out of me. Is this what it meant when it told me to release it?_ With that thought he looked to the city with determination. _In that case..._ He lifted his right hand and summoned the Aubade keyblade. he the took it with both hands and pointed towards the city. _I hope this works!_ With that he charged the blade with light energy and thought only of returning this world to it's former glory.

"DARKNESS...BE GONE!" with that he released the energy from his blade. The energy formed a nearly invisible wave of light that shrouded the city. When the light faded the kingdom looked as if it had never been attacked and the people who were tainted by the darkness reverted to their original selves.

When he was finished he looked over the city and, with a satisfied grin, said "Huh, I can't believe that worked, COOL!" As he said this a stone with a dragon tooth in it rose before him. He knew what this meant for he had done this before when he was younger. And so without hesitation he threw the stone in the air and called out to the mightiest of Aeons.

"SHINRYU!" at this the stone shattered and from it emerged the strongest and most feared of the Aeons, Shinryu. The great deity roared and Jake smiled.

"Hey buddy, long time no see huh?" he said happily as he raised hi hand and waved happily to his teacher. In response the beast roared with pride and joy, for it was proud of his student's progress thus far. However, he didn't just come here to meet with an old friend and so he began to growl with urgency at his friend. At the sound of the noise Jake stopped waving and looked upon the Aeon with a serious expression.

"I know. This isn't the time for friendly reunions." at this Shinryu nodded. It was then that an explosion shook the ground. As he regained his balance he looked to the cliff to see a pillar of flame rise into the sky.

"I guess the fight's still going." He then looked to the dragon and asked,"Do you think you can help me get back up there?" at this the dragon roared with determination before rising into the sky. It then transformed into energy and sped towards Jake. The energy then merged with him and he looked to his back to find two large angel wings. After examining the wings for a while he grinned.

"COOL!" he exclaimed excitedly. His smile soon vanished, however, when he felt a power unlike any he had felt before. _What is this?! Where's this power coming from?_ His question was soon answered when a large orb of powerful darkness appeared above the cliff and headed for the city.

"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" was all he said before he summoned his blades and sped to intercept it with light trailing behind him. He stopped right in front of it and held his blades crossed in front of him, generating a small barrier. The orb smashed into the barrier causing an explosion of darkness. When the smoke cleared it revealed a 10yr old boy with tanned skin, silver white hair and brilliant sky blue eyes. He was wearing a black coat that covered him from his shoulders to his calves, black leather gloves, a white t-shirt, white baggy cargo pants and black and white shoes. It was then that Jake noticed that his hood was down, but he didn't care. After all, right now he had a kingdom to protect. His wings became transparent and barely visible, but he could tell they were there.

The Death God, getting tired of the interruptions to it's mission, sent a volley of powerful orbs at the city. Jake then sped to intercept and cut down the ones that came too close to the city. He then countered the rest with orbs of light, filling the sky with explosions of light and dark. Seeing that it's attacks were getting nowhere, the Death God sped off to finish Jake itself. The Dark Angels tried to follow but a wall of flame blocked their path. The wall then grew and encircled the cliff until the whole area was encased in flame. They then turned to find Jay staring back with a smirk.

"Going so soon?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"Sorry, but I'm not done with you yet!" The angels responded by summoning their weapons and charging towards Jay. The first to reach him had it's blade raised, but Jay side-stepped the blow and punched it in the gut with his clawed hand engulfed in flame, sending it flying back. The other Angel appeared behind him and swiped at his side. He jumped back from the blow and sent a volley of fire balls at it creating an explosion. **( A/N I'm going to start calling them A1 and A2 from now on.)** A1 then appeared beside him and raised it's blade only to have Jay dodge the blow. He then tried to punch it only to hit nothing but air. realizing him mistake he quickly turned around just as A1 kicked him to the side. As he was flying he grabbed the ground under him to stop his momentum and launch himself back in the fight. He found A2 first and rushed forward while rearing back his hand. A2 blocked the blow and countered. Jay back flipped out of the way but A1 appeared and launched and energy wave at him. He moved to block but wasn't fast enough and was sent flying again.

A2 then appeared above him and reared it's hand back. Knowing he wouldn't be fast enough to block he relied on instinct and released a blaze of energy from his mouth, obliterating A2. Unsure of what just happened he flipped and landed on his feet. Before he could have time to ponder an it A1 appeared and swiped a decapitating blow. Jay ducked under the blow and tried to deliver an uppercut only to have A1 vanish in a furry of black feathers. The feathers then turned into orbs of darkness. When he realized this he flipped away and looked to the orbs to find them circling around A1. The being then pointed at him and two of the orbs launched at him. He jumped into the air to dodge one but the other was on target and exploded with powerful energy when it hit. Yelling from both shock and pain he crashed into the ground.

As he hit the ground A1 launched the rest of the orbs at him, with all of them hitting their mark. Screams of agony and fear filled the area as Jay was getting demolished by the orbs. When the onslaught was over A1 looked to the barrier made of flame to find it still there. It then looked to the smoke and started to walk towards it, intending to deal the finishing blow. Before it could get close, however, a huge ball of flame blasted through the smoke and obliterated A1. When the smoke cleared it revealed Jay bloody and bruised from head to toe. He was lying on the the ground exhausted from the fight with a smirk on his face.

"Payback's a bitch..." was all he could say before he lost consciousness. With that the barrier of flame dispersed as well as his claws and wings. That day feathers of flame flew with the wind.

* * *

As the Death god closed in Jake saw a wall of flame enclose the cliff. _Great, now I wont have to worry about this guy getting back up._ As he finished that thought Death Swiped with it's scythe. Jake blocked the blow but the force of it sent him back a few feet. As he regained himself he examined his opponent. _Whoa, this guy's strong. I won't last long if we go at it head to head. I'd better come up with something quick._ Death readied it's scythe once more and sent a wave of darkness at him. When he countered with a wave of light it swiped at his side. He narrowly avoided the blow and swiped back. Death blocked and pushed Jake back. It then launched a barrage small orbs of darkness at him. He cut a few down while flying to evade the rest. While it was charging another orb he flew in and swiped at the orb, destroying it. When it exploded it stunned Death Giving him enough time to charge his blades with light and unleash a barrage of critical hits, dealing a large amount of damage. Death screamed in pain and anguish and pushed Jake back. It then charged at him and reared it's blade back. He block the blow and flew back to gain some distance between them.

_Uh-oh, I think i made it mad._ He thought worriedly as Death charged him again. He couldn't block in time and was sent to the ground in front of an abandoned castle. He landed safely but was soon forced back by the explosion from a dark orb. When he regained himself he looked ahead of him to see Death 10ft away. _Okay, time to get serious. No more playing around._ As he thought this Death sent beams of darkness at him. He threw up a shield of light and the collision caused an explosion. He then flew around the smoke and launched orbs of light at Death from behind. Death saw this and flew up to avoid the blow. It then flew at him and unleashed a barrage of swipes. Jake dismissed the Aubade as he narrowly avoided the strikes and charged up his hand with light energy. When he saw an opening he punch Death's chest and released the energy, causing a large explosion. He then backed away just as Death swiped at him from the smoke and launched orbs of light at it. Death flew from the smoke and evaded the barrage while it charged it's scythe with dark energy.

Jake saw this and summoned Aubade while charging his weapons. When they finished the two charged each other with unheard of speed. Their blade met and they struck quickly and relentlessly. each time their blades clashed shock wave was made. Death swiped at Jake's side. Jake blocked and countered. After an hour Death backed away and lifted it's hand. It then created an orb of darkness and started charging energy into it, causing it to grow. _So, it all comes down to this huh?_ , was Jake's only thought before he dismissed Omega weapon and began to charge all of his energy into the Aubade. When Death finished the orb was 3-times as large as the one aimed for the city. It took the orb and threw it at Jake. He was ready, however, and when it got close he aimed the Aubade at it as well as Death.

"LIGHT!" with that a GIANT beam of light was released from the Aubade. The beam blasted through the orb and obliterated Death as well as everything that stood 5 miles behind it. In the kingdom the people marveled at the power and magnificence of the light. Those at the castle became nervous, however. The king, a man in his late forties with graying hair and warm brown eyes looked upon the scene with curiosity as well as wonder. He called forth one of his guards waiting for the light to die down.

"Yes sire?" the guard asked.

"Take some men and investigate the source of this light as well as the flames by the cliff-side. Bring back anything you find and proceed with caution." the man said.

"Yes sire." was all the guard said before he sped off to gather some men.

When Jake was finished he collapsed to his knees, exhausted from the fight. He dismissed the Aubade and looked to the cliff to find the flames dissipating. _I hope Jay's ok._ Was his only thought before he lay on the ground, unconscious, his wings have long since vanished. A few minutes later the guards arrived.

"Look, over there! I see someone."

* * *

Jake's POV

_Darkness, it's so dark, so lonely. It's strange, this feeling, the feeling of being alone, abandoned feels so familiar. I wonder why it feels like that. Warm, it's warm. That's weird, I thought darkness was supposed to be cold. What's going on here?_

"Was he the source of that light earlier?"

_Light? What light?_

"But they're just kids. How can someone so young be so strong?"

_Voices? But who's voices are they?_

"Don't be so naive. Remember, was a kid with flames that defeated most of us while trying to protect this one."

_Kid with flames? JAY?!_

"Where do you think they came from?"

_A new voice. Sounds like a woman. Just what is going on here?_

"Why do you think they were so beat up?"

_Another woman. She sounds younger than the first._

"I don't know. when we found them, this one was unconscious while the other was barely breathing. Yet he was still strong enough to take on our forces. Whatever it was, it was long gone by the time we got there."

What do they mean by "beat up"? Did Jay get hurt too?

"Do you think they'll be ok?"

_A little girl. No older then I am._

"They'll be just fine."

It was that woman again.

"If you ask me they're a threat, we should just get rid of them."

_Get rid of us?! Looks like there no time to rest. I need to gather my strength and get us out of here. _

"He's right, there's no point in keeping them here."

_I need to wake up and get out of here! Damn it MOVE! Odin, give me strength!_

"HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON! GET THOSE WINDOWS CLOSED!"

It was then that I opened my eyes. When I did I saw a kid no older than I was. There were two woman with her, and with them were about six guards. Of course I didn't care about any of this right now, Because the only thing I was concerned with at the time was getting my friend and getting out of there. Lucky for me that they put him in the bed next to mine. That makes things easier. Now all I had to deal with were the guards. They didn't realize that I was awake which gave me enough time to grab Jay. He was in pretty bad shape so I had to be careful and carry him bridal style. It was at that time that they realized I was awake but it was too late, I had already jumped out the window and landed in town.

* * *

Jay's POV

A few hours earlier...

I woke the same place I passed out. I didn't have enough energy to stand, so I just lay there looking up at the sky. It was peaceful, something I hadn't experienced in a while and to be honest I didn't want it to end. Of course it did end all too soon. It ended the moment the remaining feathers of my wings fell around me. It was such a beautiful sight, one I didn't think I would see ever again. A sight that left me feeling happy, because Phoenix was always with me.

Five years ago, when she left me I felt so alone and lost. Even now, as I reach my hand out towards the sky I find myself wishing that she was still with me. Like my mother she would watch over me and teach me, and now here I am fighting with a kid I barely even know to find the reason behind my existence. Talk about a "long road ahead". Who knows, maybe we will find the answer together and find the others while we're at it. It was then that my peace and quiet ended. I could here the sound of metal hitting the ground and I knew they were here for the source of the fireworks display earlier. _Wait, if they're here then they must be after Jake too. If I leave now who's going to look after him. _It was then that i realized I had to find him, but not before I get rid of these guys first. Using all the energy I had left I forced myself to stand up, but not before they spotted me.

"HEY YOU, HALT!" It was the army. Not good, I didn't have the strength to fight them and I needed to get to Jake. Only one thing left to do. I called out to my Aeon, Ifrit.

"Is that a child?"

"STOP HIM!" I could here them coming closer. It's now or never.

"IFRIT, LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!" As soon as the words left my mouth I was engulfed in flames and my energy was temporarily restored. It was enough for the moment. Using the power I had I made quick work of the soldiers. After that, my top priority became helping Jake before my time ran out. Looking over the cliff I saw another battalion headed in the direction Jake and Death had their battle. I needed to get to him first so I summoned my wings and flew off to where I last saw them fight. It wasn't long before I spotted him lying on the ground knocked out. Unfortunately the army saw him at the same time I did. I created a wall of flame to separate them and landed right next to him.

When I landed my time limit ran out so I found myself collapsing to my knees. When the wall of flame died down the archers of the battalion stepped forward and aimed their weapons. They hesitated for a while when they saw that we were kids but soon regained themselves when I sent a fire barrage at them. I managed to take out half of them before I ran out of energy again. The rest of them formed a wall and prepared to fire. looking at Jake one last time I forced myself to my feet and faced the soldiers. I then spread my arms out to protect him from any stray fire. _If I can't make a shield, then I'll become the shield. _The soldiers took aim and I closed my eyes tightly as I patiently waited for the pain that was going to come. It was the voice of a stranger that saved me.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" It was the voice of a woman. At the sound of it I opened my eyes and scanned the crowd for the source. The men looked around as well before once again aiming at us and again the the voice shouted,

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" A figure then came from behind the archers and stopped ten feet away from us. I could tell she was female by the way the armor hugged her body. She removed her helmet and revealed herself to have long, black hair and warm blue eyes. She was smiling a warm smile, but I still didn't trust her.

"Why did you stop us from shooting lieutenant?" one of the men asked. She then turned to face them and said calmly, "These children are of no threat to us and are hereby not to be harmed. Is that understood?"

"No threat?! That kid just took out half our forces!" said one of the men.

"That may be, but he did so to protect his friend. Do you not see the injured child behind him?"

"Yeah, but..."

"That's enough soldier, now go retrieve the medics."

"But..."

"THAT'S AN ORDER!"

"...Yes ma'am" with that the man left for the medics.

With that, the woman then turned to me and I, intern, glared back. She took a step towards and I took a step back towards Jake. I had long since put my arms down but I refuse to let anyone get to Jake after today. She took another step forward and I took another back. She took another step forward and I jumped back to Jake. I attempted to pick him up but I was too weak to carry him. I then stood in front of him as I turned to the woman. She was only standing five feet away now. She took a step forward and I, seeing as I had no energy left to fight with, started to growl. At this she stopped and hesitated.

"It's ok, I won't hurt You." she said as she took another step forward. At this I growled louder, you would too if you were ten years old and as scared as I was. She stopped and frowned. She then removed her breast plate and armored gloves. When she was done she put them aside and came closer. She was at arms length now. I stopped growling and continued to glare at her. She than raised her hand and I flinched. The next thing I knew I was in her comforting embrace. As she held me I heard her repeating over and over:

"It's ok, it's alright, your safe now." I felt myself relax and soon I collapsed into her arms.

"Welcome to Radiant Garden." was all I heard before I lost consciousness.


	6. Chapter 5

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 5: Guardians**

Jake's POV

**...**

_"If you ask me they're a threat, we should just get rid of them."_

_Get rid of us?! Looks like there no time to rest. I need to gather my strength and get us out of here._

_"He's right, there's no point in keeping them here."_

_I need to wake up and get out of here! Damn it MOVE! Odin, give me strength!_

_"HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON! GET THOSE WINDOWS CLOSED!"_

_It was then that I opened my eyes. When I did I saw a kid no older than I was. There were two woman with her, and with them were about six guards. Of course I didn't care about any of this right now, Because the only thing I was concerned with at the time was getting my friend and getting out of there. Lucky for me that they put him in the bed next to mine. That makes things easier. Now all I had to deal with were the guards. They didn't realize that I was awake which gave me enough time to grab Jay. He was in pretty bad shape so I had to be careful and carry him bridal style. It was at that time that they realized I was awake but it was too late, I had already jumped out the window and landed in town._

**...**

Damn, I had jumped without thinking. As it turns out, the window that I jumped from just so happens to be the highest building in the whole damn castle. Sure I managed to make it out of there ok, but as soon as I saw the drop to the ground I regretted my decision. As soon as I realized this I tried to grab the ledge to find that it was already too late. Within seconds I was plummeting to the ground. Cursing myself for being careless, I used all of my remaining power to summon an air board. Using it I slowed my decent just enough to survive the crash landing and avoided obstacles that I was speeding towards. After dodging the last tower I saw that we were nearing the ground I used the air from the board to soften the blow, the result was an explosion on impact. As the smoke cleared I was still holding Jay close but I was too weak to stand. I looked up from the ground to find soldiers surrounding us. I guess the noise caught their attention.

"STAND DOWN. ALL OF YOU, STAND DOWN. THAT'S AN ORDER!" at this the men stood aside to let a young woman pass through. It was one of the woman from earlier. She was wearing the same armor as the men except she didn't have a helmet on. She had long, black hair that reached her lower back and blue eyes. She then turned towards me and smiled a gentle smile.

"Don't worry. We won't hurt you." she said. I was scared but that statement made me confused. That confusion turned to anger as I remembered the conversation earlier.

"LIAR!" At this her smile disappeared and she looked confused.

"If you didn't want to hurt us, THEN WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL US?!" the word felt cold coming from my mouth, but right now I didn't care. The woman's face became one of shock before showing sadness.

"That was not my intent, some of the men feel frightened by you." at this she took a few steps towards me. At this point I felt something strange well up inside me, the sensation burned but I chose to ignore it.

"Please listen to me, your hurt and have no place to go right? Let me help you.."

"STAY BACK!" as I screamed the words a strong gust of wind forced the men to their knees. The feeling that was welling up within me was getting stronger and started to make me writhe in pain. I tried to keep it together but I couldn't suppress the sensation and so I let out a cry of pain. At this the woman's face showed one of worry as she tried, again to reach us.

"Please, your in pain. Let me hep you heal yourself!"

"STAY AWAY!" I couldn't take it anymore and let out a cry of agony as the sensation and the pain overwhelmed me. I was then engulfed in a powerful tornado that caused the earth itself to tremble in fear. As the tornado gained power I could hear the men screaming in fear as they fled the scene.

"LIEUTENANT, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" I could here one of them saying.

"LEAVE WITH THE REST OF THE MEN. I GOING TO TRY TO GET THROUGH TO HIM." she replied.

"IF YOU STAY ANY LONGER THAT STORM WILL RIP YOU APART!"

"SAY WHAT YOU WANT SOLDIER. I REFUSE TO ABANDON HIM."

"FINE, YOUR ON YOUR OWN!" with that the man left.

The power wouldn't stop growing and the pain was too much to bear. Just as it was about to consume me the sensation began to ebb away. The storm calmed down and soon the pain vanished as soon as it came. As the storm began to calm down the soldiers returned, preparing to end my life as I was weakened, cowards. As they got closer, however, they dropped their weapons and stared at me with aw. At first I didn't understand, that is until I realized that there was a strange feeling of energy that sprouted from my back. I looked to the ground to find myself floating above it, confirming my suspicions. As I turned around to marvel at my wings they vanished. As they did, the tornado dispersed and and the wind had calmed down. as I landed on the ground I collapsed to my knees. The woman raced towards me and before I knew it I was in her embrace. My eyelids felt heavy and I could tell that I would pass out soon. I looked up to find her staring back with worry in her eyes. Gathering up the last of my remaining strength I muttered two words that I felt she deserved to hear.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Your safe now." I couldn't help but smile at that.

"Get the medics." was all I heard her say before I lest the darkness of sleep take me yet again.

* * *

When I came to, it was warm. I opened my eyes to find myself in a large bed fit for a king. _I wonder if the king sleeps in one that's bigger._ Taking a look at my surroundings I saw that the room I was in was high class. A single candle illuminated the room in a dim light. The bed was comfortable and the blanket that was tucked around me was soft and warm. It's weird, I thought that, since we returned to the past there would be a lot less advancement in furniture and technology. I guess that's what they meant by "don't judge a book by it's cover". I looked to my right to find a window beside the bed. It had a view of the whole town.

The place looked like any other town from my time. It had street lights, fountains, cement streets, modern houses and even a skate board here and there. It was a nice place that reminded me a lot of the lower towns of Gaia. While I was admiring the view I suddenly sensed a presence behind me. I looked to my left to find the woman from before sitting in a chair on the other side of the room.

She was still sleeping so I guessed that she was up all night. She wasn't wearing her armor. Instead she was wearing simple blue jeans and a white top that hugged her figure. She looked peaceful while she slept. Something that was strangely in place, despite the fact that she was a soldier.

Peace, it was one of the many things that I was hoping to find when I left the "Orphanage". At first it didn't matter, nothing did at the time. It was just experiment after experiment. All of it changed when Hojo came with his behavioral modifications and combat preparations. In the end of the experiments involving the genome project they found that they couldn't use my genes to create weapons. If they couldn't use my genes they were going to use me instead. In the end they trained me into becoming a weapon for the military.

I don't think they expected it to work so well. First they tortured me so that my spirit would break. It worked half way, just enough for me to do as i'm told without question, to play it off as a success. Next was combat training where they would send someone in to either beat me up or help me learn how to use my powers to defend myself. In time I learned to have desires and the one thing I wanted most was freedom. I started to use the combat exercises to master my powers and fighting techniques. Before I knew it a year had past and I had mastered the basics of my power. It was time to break out and that's what I did.

Out of all of the things that I had expected to happen, I was never prepared for all of this. First I escape the facility, then I find Jay and the next thing I know I'm using giant keys to fight creatures of darkness and am sent to the past to change history. I don't know about you, but that's a lot to take on when your ten years old. In the end though, I asked for freedom and got dragged into something much bigger then that. Talk about a "change of plans".

I was looking out the window when I heard a noise come from the chair at the other end of the room. I turned around to find the woman from before staring at me with a gentle smile on her face.

"So your finally awake." she said with a joyful smile.

"..." I couldn't really respond to that. I wasn't sure how to. When the "orphanage" finished torturing me I became too scared to talk to anyone who wasn't like me. It's not that I didn't want to talk to her, I Just didn't trust her enough yet to talk to her without thinking that I would be punished afterwards.

"I was a little worried there." she continued. "You guys have been out for three days now." _Was she serious? Three days?! _It was then that I noticed that her face was streaked with tears. _Is she really that worried about us? why?_ It was just one of the many questions I had about this strange woman. Why does she care about us so much? She doesn't even know us. Instead of voicing my thoughts I decided to stay quiet and get to know her better before I spoke.

"My name is Amelia, Amelia Heartfeld. What's yours?" she asked with a smile. When I didn't respond her smile was replaced by a sad expression.

"Are you not willing to talk to me?" she asked sadly.

I don't know why but I didn't like seeing her sad, so I smiled to her as I shook my head.

"But you were fine talking to me a few days ago. Why not now?" she asked. It was then that I realized that she was right, back the I didn't have any problems with communicating with her. Why start now? I then remembered all of the bad things I said to her and felt a pang of guilt. I figured that if I was going to start talking to her, I'd better start with an apology.

"I'm sorry." I said. She then looked at me dumbfounded, as if she wasn't expecting me to speak at all. I honestly wouldn't expect myself to talk either, after all that we've been through, I wouldn't be surprised if we had gone mute for the rest of our lives.

"What did you say?" she asked, shock written all over her face. I smiled at that.

"Sorry." I repeated. I then looked to the bed before I continued."You see, when were younger our parents abandoned us. The people who raised us did so to use us as weapons." I paused and waited for a response. When I didn't get one I continued.

"So far every normal human has either treated us like monsters or wanted to use us for weapons, as a result it's hard for us to trust people anymore. However I seemed to have made a mistake in not trusting you, and for that, I'm..." I wasn't able to Finnish before I found myself in her embrace, to my utter shock.

"W-why are you...?" was all I was able to get out before I got my answer.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." was her muffled response as tears streaked down her cheeks. I wasn't really sure how to respond so in the end I returned the embrace. It was then that the full impact of the situation hit me and before long I couldn't stop my own tears from falling. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to hold it in, I wept silently as she held me for what seemed like an eternity. We stayed like that for a few minutes before I regained control of myself and released my hold on her. She then held me at arms length and smiled sadly.

I smiled in return and as I wiped away my tears I said, "It's ok, I'm still alive after all. And I'm not alone."

At this her smiling, tear-stained face chuckled a bit. Now that I took another look at her she looked no more than 20 years old. How did I miss that? As I turned to look out the window she took a napkin from her pocket and wiped her face. The view from here was amazing.

"So, are you going to tell me your name now?" The question came so suddenly that I almost fell off the bed. I turned toward her to find her giggling. She had a nice laugh. I then remembered her question and, after regaining myself, replied,"Jake."

"Nice to meet you Jake."

"Likewise." It was then that the door opened to reveal a petite woman with long brown hair and brown, gentle eyes. She looked to be in her mid to late thirties and wore an elegant white dress. She also had a crown perched atop her head. upon her arrival Amelia immediately got off the chair and knelt before the woman.

"You honor us with your presence my Queen." at this the queen smiled gently and said, "Rise, we've known each other for years Amelia, there is no need to be so formal."

At this Amelia got up and scratched the back of her head with a smile as she said,"Sorry, it's become a habit now."

The queen then turned to me with the same gentle smile and asked, "Is this one of them? The children I've been hearing so much about?"

"Yes ma'am." Amelia replied.

"What is your name child?" the queen asked.

Not knowing how to act around royalty I said simply, "I'm Jake."

"Hello Jake. I am Queen Sophia and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." I responded bashfully. C'mon it's royalty. What would you have done at my age?

"Might I ask what brings you here Sophie?" Amelia asked out of the blue.

"My original intention was to check up on you. After all you haven't gotten much sleep since you decided to watch over him for the last few..."

"SOPHIE!" Amelia exclaimed with a slight tint of pink on her cheeks. Me, being the ten year old that I was, was completely oblivious as to the sudden outburst and Sophie's teasing so I simply stayed there looking lost as the whole thing played out.

When she was done giggling she said, "Actually, the King wanted to meet him once he had woken up. Would you be a dear and escort him to the thrown room?"

"Yes ma'am." Amelia replied with a slight pout on her face. With that Sophie giggled some more before leaving the room. Amelia then got up and turned towards me with a smile.

"There's some spare clothes in the closet. I suggest you take a quick shower and change before we meet the King. The towel is sitting on the chair I was in. If you need anything I'll be waiting out in the hall, ok?" I gave a small nod and she left without another word. I then got out of bed, took the towel and went into the bathroom. When I took off my clothes, however, I saw that my whole upper body was covered in bandages. After carefully removing each bandage I saw the cuts and scrapes I got from the battle three days before. One large gash ran from my left shoulder to my right side below my rib-cage, courtesy of my battle with Death. there were also scars from my days at the "Orphanage" as well.

After I removed the bandages I rolled them up and set them aside as I took off the rest of my clothes and took a hot shower. It took a few minutes to wash away the blood but it took even longer to clean my wounds. All the while the pain was excruciating. When I was finished I dried myself and wrapped the towel around myself. I then left the bathroom and went to the closet to find a white t-shirt with a black sleeveless hoodie and a white short-sleeve vest that went over all of it. There was also black baggy jeans and red and black sneakers. I put on the spare clothes and went out-side to find Amelia waiting for me. She turned towards me and gasped.

"T-That looks really good on you." she said shyly.

"Yeah, I'm surprised they fit so well. Where did you get these?" I asked.

"They were delivered here soon after we found you guys, we don't know who sent them though." she replied.

"I see." _No doubt then, they were meant for us. Who would do this though?_

"Helloooo, Radiant Garden to Jake." I was brought out of my thoughts when she waved a hand into my face.

"I said, 'are you ready to go?'"

"Yeah." with that she led me down the long corridors and took me down several spiral staircases before we finally reached the big double doors that lead into the thrown room. She then nodded to the guards who then pushed the doors open and allowed us to enter before closing them again. The room itself was about the size of a basketball field with stone columns lined up on the sides and a red carpet that ran down the middle and led straight to the thrown. The King looked to be in his thirties with short silver hair and vibrant green eyes.

"Come forward." he said with a kind yet thunderous voice. We did as we were told and knelt before the thrown.

"Rise." he said. We did so and he looked at me with keen eyes.

"A few days ago there was an attack on my kingdom. Creatures of the shadows attacked the helpless towns people and my soldiers were powerless to stop the onslaught." I listened to his every word, knowing what he was getting at."The town was set aflame and most of the people were lost to the darkness that covered this world. Just when all hope seemed lost and our world was on the brink of annihilation alight, unlike any I have ever seen before rises to the heavens and purifies the land before vanishing. Tell me child, were you the cause of that light?"

He waited patiently as I contemplated an answer. I couldn't lie due to my stupidity at trying to escape the day after they found us. I saw no way out of this and so told the truth.

"Yes, sir." At this the King observed me for a few minutes before rising from his thrown and walking up to me. The entire time I had my head down and didn't dare look up. When I saw that he was at arms length from me I prepared myself for the worst, so when he said the next few words you can imagine my shock.

"On the behalf of my entire kingdom, I thank you." At this I looked up at him to find him knelt before me. The heat rose to my cheeks and before I knew it I was studdering like crazy.

"N-no, y-you don't h-have to do t-that r-really." At this the King gave out a laugh as he stood back up.

"I'm King Noctis. Nice to meet you, my boy." Noctis said. At this point I wasn't sure what to do.

"I-I'm Jake." I studdered. Noctis smiled none the less and turned to face Amelia.

"Amelia, give Jake a tour of the castle." when she nodded he turned back to me and said, "Jake, you and your friend are welcome to stay here as long as you want." With that he left the thrown room. Amelia than turned towards me with a big smile on her face.

"Alright then, lets go." she then took my hand and led me out of the thrown room.

* * *

Jay's POV

It was dark, nothing but darkness. It might have seemed like a knew experience to Jake, that is if he's going through the same thing, but to me it was all to familiar. I knew from the moment I saw him that he didn't remember the darkness we were imprisoned in before coming here. Even if he did, I wonder if it would have made a difference, if it would have changed his decision about protecting the very people who despise us. Don't get me wrong, I want some answers too, I just wasn't expecting the protection of humans one of our priorities in our goal to get answers. Whatever the case we're in this together now, whether I like it or not. Who knows, it might turn out to be fun. For now though I need to sleep, those angels really gave me a beating.

"Helllooooo."

_ok, either i'm hearing things or a voice just called out to me from the darkness. That reminds me, where am I sleeping anyway._

"Helllooooo."

_Now I know THAT wasn't my imagination. Time for me to wake up and find out just what the HELL IS GOING ON!_

"Hey, can you hear me?"

It was then that I awoke to find a girl no older then my age staring back at me with a surprised expression on her face. Next thing I know she had a huge grin on her face and she had me in a suffocating embrace. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I tried to get her to allow me to breath.

"You're awake! I'm so glad." As she said this she tightened her grip and I found myself trying even harder to get some much needed oxygen into my lungs. When she finally released me I choked as much air as possible before letting it all out again and repeating the process. When I finally calmed down I looked to the girl to find her staring at me with a gentle smile on her face. It was the that I realized the burning sensation running throughout my entire being. Seeing this the girl leaped out of her chair with worried expression on her face and helped me lay back down.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" she asked worriedly. I then shook my head "no" and smiled my thanks. Using as little movement as possible I took a look at my surroundings. Judging by the view the window provided and the quality of the area I concluded that I was in one of the towers of the castle, _GREAT_. As I was admiring the view a green light came over me. Startled, I tried to summon Phoenix Wing only to find that I couldn't. I then looked to the girl next to me to find her eyes closed and her hands clasped together as if in prayer, it was then that I realized that the light came from her. I then noticed that my body didn't hurt as much as it used to five seconds ago. _So, she's healing me. _

When the light faded I moved my arms a little to find that the pain was gone. I looked to the girl as she opened her eyes and dropped her hands, she looked exhausted.

"There, i'm done." she said with a tired smile.

"Thanks." was all I could say. At this she straightened up and looked as if she was bursting with excitement. _A lot of energy for a little girl._

"It's the least I could do for one of the guardians." she said.

"Guardians?" I asked. I didn't think anyone saw that battle._ Wait a minute, battle? JAKE! I can't believe I forgot about that idiot. I hope he's okay._ As if she read my mind the girl said, "Your friend woke up a few hours ago. right now he's being given a tour by Amelia."

"Amelia?"

"She's a friend of mine."_ That answers one of my questions. Now for the other one._

"What do you mean by guardians?"

"It's what my daddy calls you guys. He said that you guys are the ones who saved us from the darkness."

"I see." _Great, now I just have to find out who her father is._

"What's your name?" she asked. It took a while but my brain finally caught up with me when I realized what she had asked.

"Jay." I replied.

"Nice to meet you, Jay. I'm Katie." she said.


	7. Chapter 6

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 6: Ambush**

Jay's POV

_..._

_"What do you mean by guardians?"_

_"It's what my daddy calls you guys. He said that you guys are the ones who saved us from the darkness."_

_"I see." Great, now I just have to find out who her father is._

_"What's your name?" she asked. It took a while but my brain finally caught up with me when I realized what she had asked._

_"Jay." I replied._

_"Nice to meet you, Jay. I'm Katie." she said._

_..._

"Nice to meet you too, Katie." I said. She just stood there and smiled like any other ten year old girl would.

"oh, I almost forgot!" She said it so suddenly that I nearly jumped off the bed._ Damn girl._

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" It took me a while to understand what she was asking and just as I was about to answer my stomach decided that it would be the perfect moment to make itself known to the world. If you know what the roar of a lion sounds like and you compare it to my stomachs growl, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks from embarrassment as I tried to cover my it in an attempt to blot out the noise.

"I'll take that as a yes." Katie said between giggles. She then stood and left the room. She then came back a few minutes later carrying a plate of eggs, toast, bacon and orange juice. She then walked over to the table in the center of the room and placed them there while I sat up. When she was done she looked to me and gasped, a look of horror plastered upon her face. Let me tell you, this scared the hell out of me.

I frowned and was about to ask her to see what was wrong when, faster than normal a girl her age should be able to move, she ran over to me and hugged me. This was the second time I was hugged today, but at least she wasn't choking me this time. I moved my hands to return the embrace and was planning to ask her to tell me what was wrong when I noticed something I hadn't before, my arms wrapped in bandages. I then felt something wet on my chest and realized that she was crying. _Why is she crying? It's just a few scratches on my arms, nothing big._

I moved her away from me a little and was about to voice my thought when I saw it. It wasn't just my arms, but my entire upper body was wrapped in bandages that were stained with blood._ I see, that's why. _I then held her close and wrapped my arms around her as she continued to sob on my chest.

"Shh, it's okay." I said, I was doing my best to calm her down.

"It's alright. It doesn't even hurt anymore really." At this she looked up at me with hopeful, tear-filled eyes.

"Really?" she asked. I simply smiled down at her and nodded, hoping that she would cheer up. She didn't look convinced and as she returned to snuggling her head in my chest she asked the one thing I didn't expect to hear.

"Can I see them?" This question took me off guard, so I asked, "See what?"

"I want to see where you were hurt. Can you please show me?" As she said the last sentence she looked up at me with a pained expression on her face. I hesitantly nodded. She then released me and watched intently as I removed the bandages revealing the cuts, gashes and burns I got from my battle with the angels. When I was done I threw the bandages across the room and waited for her reaction.

By the look on her face she was terrified yet awed by the red that was painted across the canvass that was my body. After a few minutes she reached out to me slowly, afraid that, with the wrong move, I would break into a million pieces. When her hand was a few centimeters away she hesitated before she looked to me as if asking for permission. I looked to her and nodded, but her hand didn't move. Seeing this, I gently took her hand in mine and slowly placed it on my chest. She then closed her eyes and flinched, half-expecting me to shatter like glass. When I didn't she opened her eyes and began to trace her fingers along the cuts and gashes all over my body. When she was done she place her hand in the center of my chest and closed her eyes. The green light from earlier enveloped me and before long all of my injuries were completely healed.

When the light faded I intended to thank her but before I could she collapsed. I managed to catch her before she hit the floor but for some reason I can't seem to remember when I got off the bed, or when I got my pants back. I carefully picked her up bridal style and placed her on the bed. She must have seen my worried expression, because she then smiled and acted like nothing was wrong.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"I'm fine, just a little tired. I'll be alright in a few minutes." she responded. I couldn't really argue because it sounded like she was already getting better.

"What about you? Are your wounds healed?" she asked.

"Yeah. In fact, I feel a lot better thanks to you. But why did you heal me, even though you knew this would happen?"

"I wanted to be helpful."

"What?"

"We're the same age, but you and the other boy have already been through so much. That's why i'm going to do whatever I can to help you for all that you've done for us." I couldn't help but laugh a little at that.

"Ok, two things. First, I don't know what your talking about. The one who wanted to save your world was Jake, I just came along to get some answers." At that she pouted a little, I guess she got her energy back. I smiled at that.

"Second, if you really want to help us then you have to get stronger and help other people first, ok?"

When I said that her face lit up like a Christmas tree, and I gotta say, it was worth seeing.

"Ok." she said cheerfully.

"Good. Now that that's settled, do you know of a good place I can go to be alone and think?" I asked.

"Yeah, we can go to the abandoned castle. It's just beyond the wall."

"Great."

* * *

Third Person POV

The Castle That Never Was

A man in an Organization cloak walks the halls of the castle. He kept walking until he came to a circular room with nothing more than three couches in it. There were three other men sitting on them, waiting for of them were dressed in the same black coat while the last was wearing a white robe that covered him from head to toe. As the man walked in they all looked to him, one of which with a bored expression.

"Hey Allen, let me go after them again. Last time they beat my pet, I wanna pay them back." the first man said. He had short, brown hair and blood red eyes.

"For the last time, I will be referred to as Void. As for the newly proclaimed Guardians, if you wish to be the one to test them you must bring Ulquiorra with you." Void said darkly.

"WHAT?! WHY?!"

"To make sure that you do your job without going overboard. We're just going to test them again and the last thing I want is to have them killed before the time comes, is that understood Grimm?"

"Yes."

"Good." With that Void opened a portal and left the room. Grimm sighed before turning to the man in white.

"Alright, let's go skeleton face." was all he said before walking through the dark corridor with Ulquiorra following silently behind him.

* * *

Jake's POV

Amelia took me all over town.n It looked like any other town, the only difference being that there were shops run by some creatures called moogles. They were by far the weirdest creature I've ever seen. That's saying something considering the fact that I've seen most of Hojo's experiments. Aside from the shops there were apartment blocks, restaurants, and even a few schools. We were in the plaza and I sat on the benches while she danced a little by the fountain.

I looked to the ground and started thinking about my next move. _First off, who were those guys who attacked us. _I remembered the power they had, it was way beyond the power of soldier. Not to mention the fact that instead of this world themselves, hey summoned monsters to do their work for them and those monsters were strong enough to not only match ours but also to destroy the world. Whoever they were, they were ridiculously strong.

Not only that but they did all of this to test us. Even though Jay and I have only known each other for a few days, they knew that we were together when they attacked us. On top of that the old guy said that he knew us, but we hadn't met yet which means that he's from the future and judging by the fact that he sent us here, he has the ability to control time. That means he'll be tough to beat. _Wait a minute._

...

_"Are you the one that brought us here?" Jay asked instead._

_"Indeed." the man answered._

_"Why?" he asked._

_"To test you. I want to see how strong you are."_

_..._

Why would he be interested in how strong we were? To test us? Test us for what? Does he know something about us that we don't? If so, does he have some kind of plan for us because of this secret? If that's the case, then that means that he's going to attack us again. As I came to this realization, a lot of question began to run in my head. Right now, though, non of that mattered to me. This world is in danger as long as we stay here, if we want to keep it safe we have to leave.

Just as the thought had crossed my mind, I felt an all-too-familiar darkness. The enormous power felt close and I soon found myself searching frantically for the source. _No, not now! _was my only thought as I scanned the rooftops and saw a dark portal close behind a man in white robes. He had black hair and vibrant green eyes that stared emotionlessly back at mine. That in itself confused my to no end. _What is he waiting for?_ It was then that I felt another presence nearby. _I see, this is another test. He's waiting for the right time to strike with his must mean that the other one must be looking for Jay. Knowing him, he should be awake and walking around by now. I have to get to a safe zone so no one will get hurt when the battle starts._

"Hey, what's wrong?" Amelia's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked at her to find a worried expression on her face and when I looked back to the building I saw that the man had disappeared.

"...um, no...it's nothing." She didn't look convinced but she didn't press any further. Instead she sat next to me and placed her hands in he lap. She looked like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to voice her words. a few minutes past and I looked to the ground, enjoying the momentary peace. When she finally spoke, it caught me off guard.

"Hey..." she finally said.

"Hm?"

"Where exactly do you come from?" She asked, suddenly. Even though the question seemed simple I could tell that there was more meaning behind the words and so I looked to her and asked, "What do you mean?"

"What was your home world like?"

"Where did that random question come from? That's not like you. Then again, I've only known you for a few hours. so, I guess I have know Idea what your like, huh." I said with a smile. I then closed my eyes and leaned back, listening to the sounds of the wind.

"I'm sorry. It's just that your so young, and yet you both have so much power. I was just wondering... about how you became so strong." At this my smile disappeared. I knew where this conversation was going, and so I opened my eyes and leaned forward, staring at the ground before me.

"When we found you, Jay did his best to protect you from us even though it looked like he would collapse at any moment. He fought with everything he had left but when I saw his face I knew that he was really terrified of us. I finally got him to calm down when I showed him that we wouldn't hurt him. Then, when we got back to the castle you tried to run because you were scared too, right?" I said nothing.

"I just... I have to wonder about what you had to go through for you to be so scared of us." At this I straightened up and looked at her to find her staring back.

"Do you really want to know?" I asked seriously. When she nodded I sighed before looking back up at the sky. I thought about where I should begin, after all this is a long story and I'd rather not tell her about the first five years of my life. I guess I should start with the light.

"I really don't know about where I got my abilities." I started. "I guess it all started with that light..."

"Light?" I looked to her and smiled before looking back at the sky.

"Yeah, you see I can't really remember the first five years of my life. All I can remember is that before I found myself in that world, I was following a strange bright light. It was beautiful and I couldn't help but follow the damn thing. Then everything turned black and when I came to, I was on a transport heading for some research facility. When I got there these people in lab coats did a whole bunch of experiments on me. They would ask me a whole bunch of questions and the only response I could think of was 'the light brought me. I saw it shining in the distance, and followed it here.' Of course they were baffled by this response and decided to take me to this machine they use to determine the power of Soldier members, and guess what they found, enough power in me to wipe out their world and then some. To say they were shocked was an understatement, they were so mortified that they sent me to another research facility called 'the orphanage' that specializes in teaching special children from their world on how to control and master their powers to be used as weapons for Soldier. It was then that the experiments and training began. It wasn't all bad, day by day I had learned to harness and control my powers. I had even made a few friends along the way and we childishly called ourselves 'The Shadows of Freedom'. There were seven of us. Alan, Marcus, Chase, Kai, Selena, Cassidy, and me. There were more in the facility but we were the only ones willing to join up. The plan was to master our abilities and get stronger so we could escape the facility. we trained together every day, it was a lot of fun. Some times we would sneak to the roof and watch the sun set over the city. Our leader was Alan since he was the oldest a he was in there the longest. Under his command there wasn't anything we couldn't do."

"All of that changed when He came. Him and his army of Shinra troops took over the facility. His name was professor Hojo and he was put in charge of turning us into weapons. Unlike the experiments from before, his goal was to use our DNA to utilize better Soldiers. Before long he had fired half of the staff and killed half of the children in that facility by either torture or experiments. It was also around this time that we heard one of the kids had escaped, and Alan decided to move up our plans. Six months later only a hundred kids, including us, were left in that place and we were next in line for experimentation. When he came to our quarters we were surprised to say the least. He wasted no time in picking his next victim and the person he pointed at just happened to be Selena. The two Soldier ops who were with him made for her but we all got in their way. Big mistake. They beat us like we were nothing and apprehended her. When they were headed to the door I felt so useless, I mean what was the point of having these powers if you can't protect the people you care about. I had to do something and fast. That's when I felt it for the first time, the power that lies within me. I acted on instinct and soon I took down the Soldier ops and had her in my arms, the wind creating a vortex around me. I was pissed at my weakness so I chose to protect them, and at that moment the power answered my call. Hojo was mortified and soon he was surrounded by Shinra troops. They aimed their guns and fired only to have their bullets deflected and soon all of them were defeated. When I saw that Hojo was unguarded I put Selena down and made to finish him. He was smiling, at first I couldn't understand why he would smile when he was abut to die. It was then that I saw it, but it was too late and I soon fell into his trap. I felt thousands of volts of electricity go through me before I lost consciousness. I'm gonna have to tell you the rest of the story later." I finished with a smile. She seemed disappointed but she nodded anyway.

The reason I stopped was because the guy from earlier was back, still watching us and he's not alone. there were also a few Neoshadows hiding in the ground. Worse still it was dark and raining, doesn't this scene look familiar? Looks like the fight is going to start soon. Just as the thought passed through my head the Heartless started to come out of the ground, _Perfect. This will be fun._

* * *

Jay's POV

A hop, skip and a jump later and there I was standing in front of the ugliest building I had ever seen; which, now that I think about it, isn't really saying much. It took a hell of a long time to get here too, do to the fact that my guide wanted me to go sight seeing. I guess that's what I get for having a little girl who can't defend herself as a guide. Still, It was nice to look around and to get to know my surroundings more. Anyway, back to the point I'm standing in front of a large ruined castle. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I asked for some place quiet, but it will have to do, plus I couldn't say no.

"Here we are. What do you think?" Katie asked.

"Well it's big, quiet and scary-looking. So yeah that works." I replied. At this her face was beaming with joy, I couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked. _Wait a minute, did I really just think that? Damn, It's only been a few hours and I'm already thinking like that? Get it together Jay._

"Ok then, lets explore!" she said as she turned back to the castle. At this I couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief.

"You mean, you've never been here before?" I asked. She then turned to me with a sheepish expression on her face. _That's never a good sign._

"Um...you see...I've never, really been outside of the castle before." she said. I could only stare with a dumbfounded expression on my face. I should have seen it coming in retrospect. I mean, it explains the detour and why it took her so long to find the place. Why didn't I see it earlier? I must be off today.

"Well? What are we waiting for, let's go!" she exclaimed as she ran for the entrance to the building. I was about to follow when I felt a very powerful presence nearby. I looked around for the source when I noticed that it suddenly got darker. I then looked to the sky to find dark storm clouds circling the tallest tower, Heartless! _Oh no. _Was my only thought as I ran in after Katie. As soon as I ran through the big broken double doors a barrier surrounded the castle. We were trapped. I found Katie in the center of the grand hall and I ran to her. When I reached her I was about to tell her that we needed to get out of here When I saw that she was staring at something, and she was terrified. So scared that she couldn't move.

"Katie? KATIE! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? SNAP OUT OF IT!" I called out to her again and again only to get no response.

"Don't bother, she can't even hear you." I looked to the end of the hall to find a man in a coat that was just like the one I was wearing a few days before. He had Short brown hair and blood red eyes. I stood protectively in front of Katie and glared at the man.

"What did you do to her?" I asked darkly.

"Oh nothing really, just a little spell of mine. It should wear off, if you can beat me, that is." he said with a smirk.

"What?" I asked angrily. _He did this just to challenge me?_

"You heard me. I challenge you to a fight, and whoever wins the fight can keep the girl. It makes things interesting doesn't it?" he said before he burst out laughing maniacally.


	8. Chapter 7

**Thanks bitterbeauty813 for the review, it means a lot because I'm new at this. In fact, I think I jacked up this chapter.**

**Jay: I swear. If you jack me up, I'll kill you. *sharpens demon blade with an evil smirk***

**Me: *laughs nervously* Yeeeaaah, I'm sooooo dead. Anyway enjoy**

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 7:Kidnapped**

Jake's POV

...

_The reason I stopped was because the guy from earlier was back, still watching us and he's not alone. there were also a few Neoshadows hiding in the ground. Worse still it was dark and raining, doesn't this scene look familiar? Looks like the fight is going to start soon. Just as the thought passed through my head the Heartless started to come out of the ground, Perfect. This will be fun._

...

I counted five, ten, fifteen, twenty, the numbers just kept increasing and it was getting darker by the second. Pretty soon we surrounded but they stuck to the shadows, waiting for the moment it was dark enough to attack without being seen. I turned to Amelia to find her watching the sky as I had moments before. It seems that she hasn't noticed them yet. I turned back to the beings of darkness. The sun was setting, which meant that they were going to attack soon. Worse still, I was currently at a disadvantage. Amelia didn't bring her weapon so at the moment she was completely defenseless. I started scanning the area for a way to let her escape when I saw that a nearly invisible barrier surrounded us, trapping us. _The sun is almost down, time to get ready. _With that thought in mind I slowly stood from the bench. To be honest, I don't think I'll be able to make it out of this one. The least I could do, though, is get Amelia to safety. She must have seen my worried expression, because the next thing I know she's on her feet and by my side.

"What's wrong Jake?" she asked worriedly.

"Get behind me and stay close." I said seriously.

"What?" she asked. I didn't respond, instead I summoned my keyblades, Aubade and Omega Weapon, and got into my battle stance. She marveled at them as I searched for the Heartless. The sun had set, it was time. Not a moment later Neoshadows began to pour from the ground as well as a Novashadow here and there. Within second we were they were everywhere. Amelia Watched in horror as they melted from the ground While I kept my cool and waited for them to attack. She ran behind me as the first wave attacked. When they were close I swiftly swung left and right, downing them before they reached us. The second wave struck next and then the third...soon the waves became endless and I desperately swung my blades to keep them at bay. When I felt that couldn't hold them back anymore I created a barrier of light around us. I knew the only way to beat this many heartless was to go all out. It was risky, but I couldn't let them take her. I turned to her and gave her a smile.

"Do you trust me?" I asked. When she nodded I created a blast of light that smashed a whole in the barrier that trapped us. The I created a tornado the carried her safely out before it closed again. I then called upon my powers and let my barrier down while gathering light in my blades. When the heartless got close I released it causing an explosion of light that wiped them out. It wasn't long, though, before I was surrounded again. I smiled, because this time, I didn't have to hold back. I charged my blades with light and attacked the heartless. Every time I swung my blades a strong wave of light was created, downing heartless by the hundreds, efficiently annihilating them. When the last of the heartless vanished in a puff of black smoke I turned to the man in white and was horrified at what I saw. The man, if he was one, had a large whole in his chest. _What the hell is_ he? He showed no emotion and when he took a step forward I took my battle stance. He took another step before he vanished without a trace. _What the?_

"Your weaker than I thought you'd be." At that moment blood sprayed from my body. I didn't even see him move, my face a look of horror as I collapsed to the ground, soaking in my own blood. My vision became blurry as I look to the man to find him staring back emotionlessly. _How did he?_ Damn. Those were my last thoughts before everything went black.

* * *

Jay's POV

"What do you say Mr. guardian? Do you think you have what it takes to save your precious little friend?" the man asked before bursting into laughter again. This was one of those rare occasions when someone really pissed me off, but this time someone I cared about is at stake so I have to stay in control. I summoned my blades, Phoenix Wing and Demon King, and got into my battle stance. There is no way in hell that I'm going to let this sick bastard get a hold of my friend. then glared at the man, hoping looks could kill and save me the trouble.

"My, my, what temper you have. It seems you already want to end this, but i'm afraid we can't get started without introducing ourselves. I'm Grimm." the man said with a malicious grin on his face.

"Jay." I said.

"Well, it's a pleasure to kill you Jay." he said before laughing maniacally. That was enough for me to lose it. I held my blades tightly and charged. I charged my blades with Darkness and fire and launched the energy at him. A large ball of energy erupted from my blades and impacted on a barrier of darkness. _What? How did_ _he...?_ I couldn't finish the thought before I felt a fist in my gut. The next thing I knew, I was sent flying. I flipped myself so that I landed on my feet and skidded to a halt. I then looked for the being that punched me to find one of the Angels from before. _I see, so he was the one who made those bastards and attacked the city a few days ago._ As if reading my mind Grimm laughed maniacally.

"Yes, I was the one who set the kingdom ablaze. I was the one who covered the city in darkness." At that statement Grimm vanished and reappeared in front of me. I bought up my blade just in time to block the attack before I jumped back. He was holding a jet black scythe with a blood red blade. He vanished and reappeared behind me and swiped again. I turned in time to block and swipe back to have him vanish and appear next to me. He swiped and I countered. I then jump back to get some distance between us. The Angel appeared behind me and struck. I recovered myself and swiped at it, only for it to disappear. Grimm then closed the distance between us and we exchanged blows before I pushed him back with a wave of flame. The angel appeared again but I was ready and so I trapped it in a ball of flame and crushed it. Then I threw the ball at at Grimm and he cut it in half causing it to explode. While he was stunned I closed the distance between us and delivered a five strike combo before he forced me back with his scythe and followed up with a decapitating swipe. I ducked under the attack and swiped at his back. He blocked and delivered an upward swipe that sent me through the roof before chasing after me. He then teleported above me and grabbed my head before throwing me to the ground outside of the castle, causing a massive explosion. He then made for the finishing blow but I jumped out of the way and made to swipe at him. He blocked the blow before sending me back with a wave of darkness. When I landed he burst out laughing maniacally.

"YES, THIS IS THE FIGHT I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR!" he yelled before a pillar of darkness erupted from his body. When the darkness vanished he had a dark cloak and floating skulls covered in dark flames. His scythe had grown twice in size and his power had increased exponentially. He then charged at me with dark flames trailing behind him. Knowing I wouldn't be able to win this fight I summoned the powers of Phoenix and a pillar of flame erupted from me. when it vanished I was glowing red with wings on my back. He swiped at me and a powerful wave of darkness was launched at me. I swung Phoenix Wing and used a wave of flames to counter it, causing a massive explosion of energy. He then appeared next to me and swiped. I blocked and swiped back. He vanished an appeared behind me. He swung and I blocked. Our blades clashed causing a shock-wave. His body began to glow blue and his speed increased. He appeared in front of me and grabbed my head again before throwing me into the air. He then delivered a series of powerful blows before sending me back down with me screaming in agonizing pain. The impact caused a large explosion and as I lay on the ground soaking in my own blood he appeared above me and raised his blade.

"Any last words?" he said with a smirk.

"Go... to...hell." was all I could manage to say.

"You first." was his only response before he swung downward, blade ready to impale me. I closed my eyes and waited for the end, but it never came. When I opened my eyes again I saw that the blade was blocked by a man in white.

"Don't interfere Ulquiorra." Grimm said angrily.

"I won't allow you to go against Void's orders. If you wish to die that badly, so be it." Ulquiorra responded. With that Grimm powered down and reverted to his original form.

"Fine, but I'm taking the girl as a suvinier." With that they both vanished and the sky began to clear. The battle was over, but at the moment I didn't care. Before I lost consciousness the only thing that registered, was that I wasn't able to protect my friend.

* * *

Jake's POV

When I came to, I found myself in the same room I left. Everything was pretty much the same except for what I assumed was my blood staining the sheets. I tried to sit up when I felt my body burn with pain. I yelped from the pain and surprise before deciding against it. As I lay there I thought about the battle that put me in this condition. I remembered the man with a whole in his chest and the speed he must have used to defeat me so fast. Then there was the question of whether or not he was a human. His power was well beyond my own, yet he let me live. Could this have been another test? I was brought out of my thoughts when I heard a moan from the right side of the bed. I looked over to find Amelia sitting in a chair with her head resting on the bed.

I sear, sometimes I think she cares too much. She must have stayed with me while I recovered because she was worried. She began to stir and I simply watched as she woke up and stretched. When she was done she looked to me and blinked twice. She looked at me dumbfounded and then rubbed her eyes twice as if to make sure she wasn't she was sure she wasn't her eyes began to tear and she looked at me with sadness in her eye. She then muttered something inaudible which left me confused.

"What?" I asked. Before I got a response she jumped from her chair and hugged me like no tomorrow.

"Your alive? Are you really here? Thank god." was all she could say before she burst into tears of joy. I smiled and, ignoring the pain, returned the embrace, reassuring her that I was alright, that I was alive. A few minutes past before she released me and allowed me to lay back down. As son as I did, though, she raised her hand and slapped me, and it hurt like HELL. I raise a painful hand to my sensitive right cheek and looked to her to find her furious.

"DON'T EVER DO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT AGAIN. Do you realize how scared I was? You were injured so much, there was so much blood that I thought you were..." she couldn't finish that sentence before she she hugged me and sobbed again. I wasn't really sure how to respond to that and soon I felt guilty for worrying her. I didn't like this feeling so I painfully raised my arms to return the embrace.

"I'm sorry I made you worry. I just didn't want you to get hurt, so I thought that it would be alright if I fought them alone. I didn't mean for it to go so wrong. Sorry." was all I could think of to say at the moment.

"It's okay." was her response as she freed me from her embrace. I also released her and let my arms fall gently to the bed. When she finally calmed herself down she looked at me with a determined expression. "The next time those thing attack, I'll fight with you." she said. I smiled a little at that. She then frowned and looked at me with confusion.

"What were those thing anyway? What did they want with you?" She asked. My smile disappeared and I was going to lie when she gave me that 'tell me or die' look mothers give to children. After seeing that look I gave up on hiding it and told her what I knew. I told her about the world I wnet to when I first got the keyblades and about meeting Jay for the first time. I even told her about the people who attacked us and the reason behind the attack on this world. When I finished, She stared at me with a whole new kind of worry etched into her face. This one was deeper and held a lot more concern, if possible.

" So then, you going to leave soon?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, as soon as my wounds heal I'm gonna take Jay and leave. They'll keep coming after us until they get what they want from us. As long as we're here, this world is a target." I stated gravely. We lapped into silence. By the look on her face, Amelia was trying to take in and process the information, I was trying to plan a next course of action. A few minutes passed when a familiar voice broke the silence.

"That's a heavy burden, for such a young child." We both looked to the door to find Queen Sophie coming in.

"How long have you been there?" I asked.

"Long enough to know that your burden is great and you have a long and perilous journey ahead of you." She said as she took the last remaining chair in the room and sat down.

"Jake, let me go with you!" Amelia suddenly said. I said nothing while the queen sat there, shocked. Seeing as we gave noe response to the strange request she continued.

"You need all the help you can get and I'm not content with letting kids carry such a huge burden on their own." She said matter-of-factly. "Besides, Somebody has to keep you kids out of trouble." She added with a smirk. I smirked while the queen smiled.

"I would argue with you but something tells me that you won't change your mind no matter what I say." I said.

"You catch on quick." she responded. I sighed and looked to Sophie.

"Are you ok with this?" I asked her. She smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Alright then, it's settled." Amelia exclaimed excitedly. I simply smirked and Sophie smiled. Then all of our attention was brought to the door as it suddenly burst open to reveal two armored guards carrying an unconscious and bloody Jay in between them. Within seconds He was on a second bed that was next to mine as the queen worked to close his wounds. Amelia was sitting next to me with a worried looked on her face and my only thought on all of this was that he was attacked at the same time I was. _It must have been the second presence I felt from before._ I looked at Amelia to find not only worry, but something I was expecting, fear._  
_

"Still want to come along?" I asked seriously. She merely glanced in my direction before turning back to the bloody Jay. She then looked to the ground and clasped her hands in front of her._ She must be thinking about what I told her earlier. the only way she can really be of help is by getting a keyblade._ When the queen was done she wrapped him in bandages and let him rest. It was then that he began to stir. When he opened his eyes and looked around the room to get a grip on his surroundings. When his eyes landed on me they widened and he tried to lift his hand and reach out to me. When his he found that he was too weak to do so his hand dropped only to be caught by Amelia.

"Careful," she said. "Don't strain yourself too much." He conceded and instead opened his mouth to speak.

"Jake," he said, struggling to finish his sentence."That girl, she's been..." His breathing was heavy and it seemed like he would pass out at any moment. When he caught his breath he tried again.

"Katie's been... kidnapped." At the mention of her name Sophie and Amelia were by his side in mere seconds with worried expressions.

"She's... being held... in the...ruined...castle. Jake...help me...save her. We have to...save her." He said between heavy breaths. I looked myself before looking back to find Sophie and Amelia looking at me with hopeful eyes. I then looked to Jay and nodded. He gave me a relieved smile before closing his eyes, preparing himself for what I was about to do. I then closed my eyes and concentrated on my new found powers. _If my light can heal wounds made from the darkness, then it should be able to heal normal wounds._ With that in mind I concentrated the light on our wounds and thought only of healing. I heard gasps come from the women and assumed it was working. I opened my eyes to find Jay and I floating with green light healing our wounds. When the light faded we landed safely back on our beds. I then sat up and looked at Jay to find him sitting up also. He then looked at me and we nodded to each other with determination. Right now we were thinking the same thing, those bastards were going to pay.

We jumped from our beds to find that our clothes were already mended and on us. As we looked ourselves over wondering about the mystery we here Amelia's gasp of surprise. We turned looked at her and were shocked to find that she was holding a Keyblade. It was the Abyssal Tide keyblade. We could only watch speechlessly as she tested the weight of the blade in her hands. only one question was on our minds,_ how can she use a key blade? _I looked to Jay to find him staring back with the same baffled expression I had. We then turned back to find her looking at us with a hopeful . I smiled and nodded at her unasked question and her face instantly lit up and she looked to the keyblade with determination. I then looked to the queen to find her sitting in a chair and looking worriedly at the ground. I walked up to Sophie and placed a hand on her shoulder. She then looked up at me with a hopeful expression on her face and I smiled.

"Don't worry, we'll get her back." I said gently. I gave her a reassuring smile and she smiled in return.

* * *

Third Person POV

Yen Sid's Tower sometime in the near Future

Yen Sid was sitting in his study, looking through old scrolls. It had been three months since Riku has passed the Mark of Mastery exam and since then he has been training Kairi in the ways of the keyblade. She was already an expert when it comes to the basic magic spells and she was currently taking a break with Sora and Riku. He was looking through the scrolls When he sensed a powerful and dark force in the worlds. It was then that he also sensed another presence in the room. He looked around for the source of the the power he sensed and found a boy shrouded in darkness. Next to him stood a man that looked no older then 25. He had shoulder length black hair and glowing, purple eyes. The old wizard sensed a powerful light in the mans heart.

"Who are you?" Yen Sid asked calmly.

"One of the many who were never meant to exist." the man replied. The boy just smirked while the wizard's eyes widened in shock. He then thought about defeating the man before him but saw that the man carried power that would put Sora to shame.

"Have you come to kill me?" he asked calmly instead. At this the boy burst out laughing. before walking into the moon light, causing Yen Sid to gasp in surprise.

"You think we came all this way to kill you? Yeah right, if we wanted to kill you we wouldn't be talking right now." the boy said. He was identical to Sora except with jet black hair and glowing, Golden eyes.

"Long time no see, old man." Vanitas said. At this the man stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. Vanitas looked at the man with a determined smirk. The man smiled a little at him before turning to Yen Sid, who looked at the two expectantly.

"To answer your unasked question, I did what you failed to do. I gave him a heart with light to hold back the darkness and a chance to live a normal life once this is all over. You see, the battle between light and darkness has lead the universe into chaos. As a result, the light and the darkness have sent for one that will end this endless struggle once and for all. We have come here in search of the beings with the power to fight this ultimate threat. The time has come for the true chosen one has finally entered our world. Sora and his friends have done a wonderful job saving the universe from the darkness but now the threat is more than he and the others can handle. I assume that you have already sensed the powerful darkness?" When the wizard nodded he continued.

"Then you know the reason we're here. We have come for the previous Organization 13 members Roxas, Xion, Axel, and the witch Namine." he said. Yen Sid's eyes then clouded over at the last sentence.

"I see. I'm afraid I can't let you do that, for if those few are released then the consequences for having that many beings of darkness released with be catastrophic." he said calmly.

"Are planning to try and stop me?" the man said with a smirk.

"I can not allow beings of nothingness roam free. It would ruin the balance of this universe." Yen Sid said calmly. At this the man smirked.

"Alright, how about a little game then." he said.

"A game?" the old wizard asked.

"Yes, if you gather enough warriors that are strong enough to stop us as well as the new threat. We will leave you be to handle the situation. For now, I need to pay a little visit to destiny Islands." With the the man and Vanitas vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

Destiny Islands

It was peaceful on the islands. Riku and Sora were sparing on the kid's island while Kairi sat on the beach and watched. It had been a while since they had hung out together and so they wanted to make the most of it as possible. The man appeared on the hillside of the island overseeing the fight with Vanitas. He then looked to the boy to find him putting on his helmet before looking back and nodding. The man then nodded and summoned his Darkness Gazer keyblade while Vanitas summoned Void Gear. When Sora and Riku gained distance from each other a barrier formed around the man, Kairi and Sora while Vanitas kept Riku busy._  
_

"Who are you?" Sora asked angrily while summoning his keyblade.

"My name is Joseph. I'm come to get something that doesn't belong to either of you." Sora then stood in front of Kairi Protectively as he got into a battle stance. When Joseph brought out his keyblade Sora's eyes widened in shock.

"A keyblade? HOW?!" Before he could think about it Joseph appeared in front of him. He swung at him only to find Joseph behind him. In his hand were three hearts, all of which had a chain leading back to him. It was then that his eyes widened in panic.

"Sora! Please, don't hurt him." Kairi said worriedly.

"What are you going to do?" Sora asked, his face trying horribly to mask his fear. In that instant the hearts took shape. In their place were two boys that were identical and a girl.

"I mean to free them." Joseph said. As he said this he looked at them with sadness in his eyes. Sora saw this and in that instant his fear vanished and was replaced by confusion. Joseph then took his keyblade and placed it on the chains.

"With this, you are no longer connected to Sora's hearts." He then raised the blade before cutting the chains, causing a blinding flash of light. When the light faded only one of the boys and the girl remained. Joseph then set them down and looked to Sora to find him unconscious. He looked to Kairi to find her frozen in fear. He sighed before appearing behind her with a heart. When the heart took shape he cut the chain and waited until the light faded before he summoned a portal and sent the girls through it he then picked up the boy and snapped his fingers, causing the barrier to dissipate. Vanitas was by his side in and instant. Just when they were about to leave Riku shouts at them.

"Sora! Kairi! What did you do to them?!" he asked angrily.

"Worry not, for your friends are safe. I simply took what doesn't belong to them." with that he and Vanitas walked through the portal. Riku ran after them only to have the portal vanish before he could reach it.

* * *

**Well that's all I have for now. I'll try to update by next week but I make no promises.**


	9. Chapter 8

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

Legend of the Guardians

Chapter 8: A New Adventure Begins

Sora's POV

...

_"With this, you are no longer connected to Sora's hearts." He then raised the blade before cutting the chains, causing a blinding flash of light. When the light faded only one of the boys and the girl remained. Joseph then set them down and looked to Sora to find him unconscious. He looked to Kairi to find her frozen in fear. He sighed before appearing behind her with a heart. When the heart took shape he cut the chain and waited until the light faded before he summoned a portal and sent the girls through it he then picked up the boy and snapped his fingers, causing the barrier to dissipate. Vanitas was by his side in and instant. Just when they were about to leave Riku shouts at them._

_"Sora! Kairi! What did you do to them?!" he asked angrily._

_"Worry not, for your friends are safe. I simply took what doesn't belong to them." with that he and Vanitas walked through the portal. Riku ran after them only to have the portal vanish before he could reach it._

...

It was dark and I was falling, falling into the dark abyss that surly held my destination. I had been here more times than I can count and now I'm here once again. I can already feel my descent slowing as I neared the platform, something felt different though. As I got close I felt myself flip so that I would land feet first. When I landed, I looked around before taking a step forward, causing the darkness clinging to the platform to peel away like doves. I watched the birds fly off into the distance before looking down to find that it wasn't my picture on the stained glass, but a boy who looked to be four years younger than me.

The buy was peacefully sleeping while two powerful, golden keyblades rested in his hands._ Another wielder?_ was my only though as I looked around the platform to see the people connected with his heart. The Station was over twice as large as the others he had been to and it also held twice as many pictures. There was an inner circle, a middle circle, and an outer circle. The inner circle held four other children with keyblades. As I looked at all of their faces I noticed something that connects them, they were all crying in their peaceful sleep. I wanted to understand the cause behind their tears but I didn't know how long I had before I left this place. As I looked to the outer circle I saw a lot of familiar symbols. I was about to examine the rest o the portrait when I saw a door on the other side of the platform.

_Time to leave, I guess._ With that I walked up to the door and summoned the Kingdom Key. I pointed the blade at the door and waited until I heard a satisfying click before going through the light emanating from the door. When the light faded I saw the most amazing site in all of the worlds. Mighty giants and powerful creatures of all shaped and sizes roamed the land. It was such an amazing sight. I was about to get a closer look When a mighty golden dragon flew over head. It carried an orb of light in it's hand. When it set the object down I was engulfed in a blinding light.

When the light faded I found myself In a town of sorts. I looked around to see people stop what their doing to look up at the sky. I followed their example and looked to find the glowing orb from before falling from the sky. As I looked closer I saw that it held a small bot inside. The same boy from the pillar.

It was then that I woke up in a chair. I looked at my surroundings to see that I was in Yen Sid's tower. When I looked around I saw Axel leaning against the wall a few feet away, the King resting in a chair across the room, Riku looking at the floor with a thoughtful expression on his face and Kairi looking at me worriedly. When she saw that I was awake she held me like a life line. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I returned the embrace. After what seemed like hours ( but were only a few minutes) we released each other I asked a question that has been on my min since I woke up.

"What happened?" I asked groggily.

"We were attacked by a man wearing an organization cloak. He brought someone with him to distract me while he had his way with you two. By the time I could get to you, he was done." Riku explained. It was then that I remembered the events from before.

...

_"Who are you?" Sora asked angrily while summoning his keyblade._

_"My name is Joseph. I'm come to get something that doesn't belong to either of you." Sora then stood in front of Kairi Protectively as he got into a battle stance. When Joseph brought out his keyblade Sora's eyes widened in shock._

_"A keyblade? HOW?!" Before he could think about it Joseph appeared in front of him. He swung at him only to find Joseph behind him. In his hand were three hearts, all of which had a chain leading back to him. It was then that his eyes widened in panic._

_"Sora! Please, don't hurt him." Kairi said worriedly._

_"What are you going to do?" Sora asked, his face trying horribly to mask his fear. In that instant the hearts took shape. In their place were two boys that were identical and a girl._

_"I mean to free them." Joseph said. As he said this he looked at them with sadness in his eyes. Sora saw this and in that instant his fear vanished and was replaced by confusion. Joseph then took his keyblade and placed it on the chains._

_"With this, you are no longer connected to Sora's hearts." He then raised the blade before cutting the chains, causing a blinding flash of light. When the light faded only one of the boys and the girl remained._

_..._

_That man, he did something to me. I don't feel different though. So, what did he do then? _At this thought I looked inside myself to see if there was anything different about me. Everything seemed normal, but I knew something was off. _Hey Roxas, do you feel something strange about me? _When I didn't get a response I tried again to reach the blond again. That's when I realized that the thing that was missing, was Roxas. Knowing this, I decided to voice my thoughts.

"Roxas is gone, I can't feel him anymore. That guy Joseph must have taken him." I said.

"We know, he took Namine as well." Riku stated, still deep in thought.

"I was afraid of this." Yen Sid said.

"What do you mean Master?" Kairi asked.

"A Few days ago the man you describe as Joseph came here and told me of a new and great threat approaching." he said. At this everyone looked to him and listened intently.

"It was at that time that I sensed a very powerful darkness in our universe." he said.

"Could Xehanort be behind this?" the king asked. Yen Sid shook his head solemnly.

"This threat is cased by others that are more powerful than him I'm afraid. So much so that their power puts his to shame." he stated.

"So, your saying that these new guys are more than strong enough to mop the floor with him. Is that about right?" Axel stated rhetorically. Yen Sid simply nodded.

"As it stands, we do not posses the power to defeat this new enemy. That does not mean that they cannot be beaten." At this everyone looked to him with a hopeful expression.

"Joseph stated that this new threat is caused by beings of neither light nor darkness. As such only beings of nothingness and twilight can defeat them. He spoke of recruiting former organization members as well as children of twilight. I know not of his true intentions. I do, however, understand that these children are the only ones with enough power to defeat our enemy. As such, you must locate them and get them to join us. You may use force if necessary but be warned, their power is well beyond that of all of you combined. Be careful and prepare yourselves for the battles that are to come, for they may be your toughest battles yet." At his words they all saluted before heading to the new gummy ship.

* * *

**Present**

**Jake's POV**

...

_"She's... being held... in the...ruined...castle. Jake...help me...save her. We have to...save her." He said between heavy breaths. I looked myself before looking back to find Sophie and Amelia looking at me with hopeful eyes. I then looked to Jay and nodded. He gave me a relieved smile before closing his eyes, preparing himself for what I was about to do. I then closed my eyes and concentrated on my new found powers. If my light can heal wounds made from the darkness, then it should be able to heal normal wounds. With that in mind I concentrated the light on our wounds and thought only of healing. I heard gasps come from the women and assumed it was working. I opened my eyes to find Jay and I floating with green light healing our wounds. When the light faded we landed safely back on our beds. I then sat up and looked at Jay to find him sitting up also. He then looked at me and we nodded to each other with determination. Right now we were thinking the same thing, those bastards were going to pay._

_We jumped from our beds to find that our clothes were already mended and on us. As we looked ourselves over wondering about the mystery we here Amelia's gasp of surprise. We turned looked at her and were shocked to find that she was holding a Keyblade. It was the Abyssal Tide keyblade. We could only watch speechlessly as she tested the weight of the blade in her hands. only one question was on our minds, how can she use a key blade? I looked to Jay to find him staring back with the same baffled expression I had. We then turned back to find her looking at us with a hopeful . I smiled and nodded at her unasked question and her face instantly lit up and she looked to the keyblade with determination. I then looked to the queen to find her sitting in a chair and looking worriedly at the ground. I walked up to Sophie and placed a hand on her shoulder. She then looked up at me with a hopeful expression on her face and I smiled._

_"Don't worry, we'll get her back." I said gently. I gave her a reassuring smile and she smiled in return._

_..._

Three years later

The suns gentle rays engulf me in warmth as I look over the kingdom from a nearby cliff. Jay and Amelia are with me, looking over the world and waiting for any signs of trouble. It's been three years since that day. Three years since those bastards took Katie. We've been training since then. Jay and I have learned how to master our new abilities and at the same time we've been teaching Amelia how to use her keyblade. After that we taught her soldiers how to defend themselves in case of a heartless attack.

As it turned out, after we finished training the soldiers there was a large heartless invasion. While the battle raged we searched for any sign of them, only to find no trace. It's as if they wanted us to become stronger so that we can be some form of a challenge for them when the time came. Well that worked in any case. Jay and I have managed to use new techniques in mastering our powers. We even managed to get Amelia to master her powers of the keyblade. Now all that was left was to wait until they attacked again. What we weren't expecting was for the attack to come so soon.

As the gentle breeze caressed our faces and the smells of the Kingdom wafted up our nostrils, I felt it. The powerful presence I felt three years ago. My deep blue eyes scanned the sky and sure enough, dark clouds began to roll in. I looked to Jay's intimidating brown eyes and saw that he was looking back with a determined expression. I then ran my hand through my gravity-defying silver hair and sighed. I was wearing the same attire that I wore three years ago as was Jay. Our clothes still fit perfectly and their magical attributes haven't really changed much. I looked to Amelia's blue eyes to find no trace of doubt. _Good._ She was wearing a pair of black jeans with a white tank and a black jacket that hugged her figure. She also had a pair of purple jordans.

"They're here." Jay said darkly.

"Are you ready?" I asked them. Amelia smiled before taking out a small box with a button on it. She pressed the button and threw it into the air. when it came down it became a purple air glider. She hopped on the board and waited for us to do the same. I looked to Jay to find him already on his black board waiting on me. I smiled before following their example and together we sped for the we got o town we saw that the soldiers were already fighting Heartless and new beings called Hollows. The Hollows showed up a few months ago. They are ten times stronger than heartless, not to mention smarter. We managed to build weapons for the military that were strong enough to beat these new monsters.

We past through town and entered the Kingdom without incident. After putting away our boards we went directly to the thrown room. Once we entered we walked up to the thrown and bowed before the king Noctis and Queen Sophie.

"So, the time has finally come?" Noctis asked.

"Yes." was our simple reply. At this he rose from his thrown and looked us over with his gentle blue eyes.

"Rise." he said. We did so and he continued.

"Go forth and defeat this menace who has stolen my daughter. Retrieve her at all costs and above all, be careful and come back safely." he said the last part softly.

"We won't let you down. we'll come back a soon as possible with Katie." I said with determination.

"Good luck, to all of you." he said. We simply nodded before getting our boards and heading for the abandoned castle.

...

When we got to the castle we were attacked by flying Hollows. They launched a barrage of darkness at us and we did our best to avoid the rain of attacks. Amelia then did a back-flip before cutting one in half.

"Leave these guys to me. You two go on ahead to the castle." she said as she swiftly cut down another one. We nodded before going on ahead. I new she had become a lot stronger since she got the keyblade, but I couldn't help but worry. When we got to the abandoned castle we put our boards away and walked into the grad hall, where we saw Grimm and Ulquiorra waiting for us.

"Well well, it looks like you've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we met. I can't wait to test your new found power." Grimm said with a psychotic smile on his face.

"What have you done to Katie you sick bastard?" Jay asked angrily.

"Katie? HAHAHA, my dear boy. I'm afraid I don't know what your talking about." Grimm said before laughing maniacally.

"SHUT UP! I'm sick of your games. Tell me what you've done with her!" Jay said darkly.

"Sorry my dear boy, but the games haven't even started yet. We're still missing one more player before we begin."

"What are you...?" Before Jay could finish his sentence Amelia burst through the double doors.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. What did I miss?" she asked sheepishly. When she saw the two standing before us she got behind us and formed a battle stance.

"Good. Now that the gang's all here, LET THE GAMES BEGIN." As he said this he created an orb of darkness in his hand and threw it to the sky, creating a dark barrier around the castle. He then began to laugh maniacally.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I'm sorry it's shorter than the other chapters. **


	10. Chapter 9

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 9: Beings of Twilight**

**Sora's POV**

...

_"Joseph stated that this new threat is caused by beings of neither light nor darkness. As such only beings of nothingness and twilight can defeat them. He spoke of recruiting former organization members as well as children of twilight. I know not of his true intentions. I do, however, understand that these children are the only ones with enough power to defeat our enemy. As such, you must locate them and get them to join us. You may use force if necessary but be warned, their power is well beyond that of all of you combined. Be careful and prepare yourselves for the battles that are to come, for they may be your toughest battles yet." At his words they all saluted before heading to the new gummy ship._

_..._

This new gummi ship was twice as large as the old one. It had over ten bedrooms, a couple of gaming rooms, a kitchen, a virtual training room and most importantly, it had three bathrooms. After getting settled in the control room the screen came on and we were all looking at Yen Sid on the monitor.

"I've been using my magic to try and pinpoint their location, but it seems that I don't have enough power to locate them. I have, however, found something that could be of use to us." At his word the screen switched from him to what appeared to be a battle. The fight was moving so fast that you couldn't see the combatants. On the screen we watched in horror as heartless slaughtered the townspeople and the creatures with scythes set the city ablaze. Then we saw a blinding light and when it faded the town looked as if nothing has happened. The screen then looked over a battle that was happening on a nearby cliff side. As I got a closer look I saw what looked like Angels with black wings relentlessly attack a young boy who looked no older than ten years old.

"Why are they attacking him? they're going to kill him?!" Kairi said worriedly.

"Don't fret Kairi, he's stronger than he looks." At Yen Sid's words we watched in awe as the kid was suddenly engulfed in flames. When the flames dispersed He had glowing red eyes and flaming angel wings as well as flaming claws. We stood there in utter shock as he and the angels relentlessly traded blows swiftly and efficiently. The power the kid had was well beyond my own and it looked as if he wasn't even trying. As I looked closer I saw that it was one of the children from the platform.

The screen then watched from a different angle as a pillar of darkness shot into the sky and from it emerged a monster-like version of the Grimm Reaper. The monster than formed a dark ball in it's hand and launched it at the town, the ball of darkness was twice the size of the Radiant Garden plaza. The boy watched in horror as the orb headed for the city, unable to do anything because of the angels.

Just when it was about to hit a pillar of golden light erupted from the ground and from it a trail of light intercepted the orb, causing it to the smoke cleared it revealed another child with glowing white wings. He was holding two golden keyblades and he looked surprised, as if he hadn't expected to block the powerful attack. The monster then made to attack the newcomer while the angel were trapped in a barrier made of flame.

"Wow, that kid's even better with fire than I am." Axel stated, impressed.

We turned back to the screen to see the monster and the boy trading blows. When the came apart they let loose powerful magic attacks on each other, before clashing blades once again. each clash created a powerful shock-wave that destroyed anything in it's path. The two powerful beings finally separated before preparing for a final attack.

The monster launched an orb of darkness that was four times bigger than the last at the boy. The boy, in turn, pointed his blades at the beast and unleashed the strongest beam of light I've ever seen at the beat. The orb was annihilated as was the monster and when the last of it's darkness faded he smirked to himself before collapsing to the ground unconscious. When it was over the screen flickered back to Yen Sid as everyone got over their shock of seeing such overwhelming power.

"What you have seen today was the first battle of the beings of twilight. The monsters you have seen were created by the cause of this new threat that faces us. The beings of twilight, as you may have noticed, were the children. As you can see, they have yet to master they're powers, but they can put up a fight if provoked. Be wary of how you approach them." Yen Sid said. With that the screen went dead and the crew stood there dumbfounded as they thought about the power they just witnessed. (save for Micky). Axel was the first to get over his shock and break the silence.

"Okay. So now that we have an idea of who to look for, any Idea as to where we look first?" He asked.

"I know, how about we head to Hollow Bastion first?" I asked enthusiastically.

"Why start there Sora?" Micky asked.

"I have a few reasons. First it would be nice to see Leon and the others again. Second, the place in that video looked a lot like the cliff outside of the city. And finally, it's more of a gut feeling since most of m adventures either start there or traverse town. Not to mention I'm a little hungry, so I could go for some good food right about now." I said sheepishly. Everyone else just sweat dropped.

"Sora, you could get something from the kitchen, you know." Riku stated flatly. I simply grinned at him.

"Yeah, but where would the fun in that be? Besides we don't have any other ideas." I said matter-of-factly. Kari nodded in agreement. Riku sighed before giving in.

"Alright, let's go then." he said. With that I plotted a course for Hollow Bastion.

...

When we got to Hollow Bastion what we saw shocked us. There was a large barrier of darkness that trapped the abandoned castle. Just when I was about to land and investigate, Riku stopped me.

"Wait Sora, let's go see if the others are alright first, then we can find out what's going on." At his words I went and parked in town. When we all got out I went straight for the first place I could think of, Merlin's house. As we went through the streets we saw that the place wasn't nearly as lively as it should be. This began to make me worry so I hurried over to Merlin's as fast as I could, the others were following close behind. When we got there I made to knock only for the door to open with Yuffie standing behind it.

"Sora?!" she exclaimed.

"Hey Yuffie, I'm here to talk to Leon. Is he here?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's here. Come on in." She said cheerfully. We went in and traveled down many steps until we came upon Ansem's lab. Rather than trying to figure out how we got here from Merlin's I went off to find Leon leaning against the wall.

"Leon!"

"I'm guessing that the reason you here has something to do with that barrier right?" he asked.

"Well, sort of." I replied."The truth is we came here to see if we can find something to help us out this time. Someone stronger than Xehanort is attacking the worlds and I came here looking for clues on the only people strong enough to beat him." I explained.

"So you think there might be some documents that could help you find who your looking for?" Leon asked. I nodded.

"Do you know of any old documents we could look at?" I asked hopefully. He seemed to think about it before giving me an answer.

"You won't find anything on Ansem's computer on it, but maybe if we were to find some older documents dating back to the old king Noctis, you could find something." Leon stated.

"Great, now where are they?"

"That's where we have a problem. There hidden somewhere in the castle out-side of the kingdom, which is being blocked by the barrier."

"No problem. A little bit of light from my keyblade can smash right through that barrier."

"As much as we love your enthusiasm, it's not that simple."

"How so?"

"We keep getting powerful pulsations emanating from it, almost as if something powerful is about to hatch. Either that, or some very powerful foes are fighting in there."

"And pretty soon, they'll be fightin out here." said Sid from Ansem's computer.

"What's wrong Sid?" Leon asked.

"Come and see for yur-selves." Sid replied. We went over to the computer screen and saw an over-head view of the abandoned castle. Just then, a pulsation came from the barrier, causing the barrier to ripple like water and the surrounding rock formations to crumble.

"That last ripple cause this here barrier to destabilize. At this rate, I'd say we got about five minutes until the barrier opens from the inside." Sid said. Squall simply glanced at the screen before turning to everyone else.

"Alright everyone, get ready to move out. We have to protect the city at all costs." Everyone in the room nodded and pretty soon the only ones left were Tifa, Sid, and Vincent. I headed into the city with the others until the King wanted us to split into two teams. Then Riku, Kairi and I headed one way while he and Axel went another. _This is it. The first meeting with our new enemy._

* * *

**Jake's POV**

...

_"Sorry my dear boy, but the games haven't even started yet. We're still missing one more player before we begin."_

_"What are you...?" Before Jay could finish his sentence Amelia burst through the double doors._

_"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. What did I miss?" she asked sheepishly. When she saw the two standing before us she got behind us and formed a battle stance._

_"Good. Now that the gang's all here, LET THE GAMES BEGIN." As he said this he created an orb of darkness in his hand and threw it to the sky, creating a dark barrier around the castle. He then began to laugh maniacally._

...

"Damn you." Jay said angrily. He tried yet again to attack Grimm only to be repelled by an invisible barrier.

"HAHAHA, IS THAT THE BEST YOU'VE GOT. C'MON, SHOW ME THE POWER, STOP HOLDING BACK ALREADY!" Grimm screamed before laughing once again. Jay Just growled darkly.

"Jay, calm down." I said._ If they want to see our new power that badly, than I guess we have no choice._ Jay looked to me with a unanswered question written on his face. When I nodded he smirked and stood by my side. His face portrayed a calm demeanor. I then turned towards Amelia.

"Amelia, stand back." I said. She nodded in understanding and left to deal with monsters that might interfere with the battle. I then looked to Jay to find him staring back with determination. We nodded to each other on understanding before turning to our opponents and closing our eyes. We called upon our powers and before long Jay was engulfed in a pillar of powerful flame while I was engulfed in a raging tornado. The X symbols on our right hands burned brightly as we our clothes transformed to match our power.

When the transformation was complete the wind and flame died down and our forms were revealed. We both looked to be 15 now. I was wearing an Organization coat with a white shirt underneath and black, baggie, cargo pants. I had white and black Jordans and a white cloth that hid my nose and mouth as well as black leather gloves on my hands hiding the x symbol. Jay was wearing a black trench coat that covered him from head to toe and he had black bandages that covered his entire upper body in darkness. He had black baggie jeans and black Jordans. He had small claws for hands and his demon blade had grown twice in size and now lay across his back, black bandages hid his nose and mouth as well.

When we were done transforming Jay walked up to the barrier stopping us from attacking and simply walked through, destroying it. The force caused a shock wave that nearly forced Grimm back, Ulquiorra stood unfazed. Grimm then smiled maniacally before taking out his scythe and attacking Jay. When he swiped Jay blocked before sending Grimm through the roof and outside. He then flew after him. After seeing him fly off I faced Ulquiorra to see him draw his blade. I summoned my keyblades and waited for him to attack. Instead, a portal formed behind me and before I could react he grabbed my head and threw me in before chasing after me, the portal closing behind us.

When I came out the other side I saw that he threw me into a world where there were nothing but dessert and sand. He then appeared above me and made to swipe. I moved Aubade to block, but to my shock he release a powerful wave of glowing, green darkness. I managed to block most of the blow but the force of the attack sent me straight for the ground, creating a large crater. When I got up he appeared before me and made another swipe. This time I charged my blades with energy before blocking, causing a massive explosion of light and darkness.

When the smoke cleared he sent a wave of green darkness at me before vanishing. I countered with a wave of light before turning around to block his swipe. The force from the clash of our blades sent us both flying back. He came at me again and I blocked before I countered. He blocked and vanished before appearing twenty feet behind me and launching a wave. I turned around and blocked, causing an explosion. I jumped from the smoke and he appeared behind me. He side-swiped and I blocked with Aubade and sent a wave with Omega Weapon. The explosion stunned him long enough for me to send him to the ground with another wave. It connected but he seemed unfazed by the attack.

He than appeared above me and grabbed my head before throwing me to the ground. He mad to swipe at me while I was down but I back-flipped out of the way. I then used the light to increase my speed and power before I appeared in front of him ans side-swiped. He blocked but the power of my attack forced him back. I then appeared behind him but he vanished and launched a wave at my back. The impact cased an explosion but I felt nothing as I fell to the ground. He then launched a series of waves at me while I was down and I created a wind barrier before appearing behind him and swiping with Aubade. He blocked but I sent a wave to force him to the ground.

I could feel my power steadily increase as the battle progressed and so I made to swipe at him. He sent a wave to halt my efforts but I appeared behind him before delivering a powerful kick to his gut, sending him into the air. He seemed shocked by this and as I sped after him he sent a ave at me. It collided but had little effect on me and so I closed the distance between us and unleashed a powerful wave at him, causing a massive explosion. As he fell he vanished and launched a powerful wave from his hand to my face, causing another explosion.

As I fell to the ground I was to weak to dodge the onslaught of wave he sent my way, and so I found myself silently screaming in agonizing pain filled me to the brim.

* * *

**Jay's POV**

I chased after Grimm to find him in the ruined ball room of the castle. When I landed I saw that he had transformed into his monster form. Our powers caused the air around us to stir and clash violently against each other in a campaign for dominance. The two of us stood there as we measured each others powers. Finally, We sped at each other. Our blades clashed, causing an explosion of Flames and darkness. The shock-wave from the blast weakened the barrier as we traded blows with our weapons.

He used the last swipe to force me back before he launched a barrage of dark orbs at me. I blocked most of them and evaded the rest before sending a wave of Flame at him. It hit and caused and explosion but he emerged from the smoked unfazed and sped to meet me. Our blades clashed once again causing another sock-wave. I then used a wave of flame and forced him into the air. I then appeared above him and grabbed his head in my left hand before throwing him to the ground. The impact caused a huge explosion. When I landed I looked through the smoke to see if I could spot him. Turns out, i didn't have to look. A giant pillar of darkness appeared, causing the smoke to disperse.

"YES, THAT'S IT. THIS IS THE FIGHT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. THAT CATACLYSMIC POWER, SHOW ME MORE. I MUST SEE THAT POWER!" he screamed to the heavens. I obliged him and summoned my remaining power, soon enough I was engulfed in flame. Our power clashed and the force of it completely obliterated the barrier.

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Back at Sid's place...

Sirens start to go off and the trio, Tifa, Vincent and Sid, rush down stair to see what the problem was. On the screen of Ansem's computer there appeared to be a massive energy spike from the barrier.

"What does this mean Sid?" Tifa asked.

"It means that the damn barrier is about to open, and whatever's inside is about to come out." Sid replied.

"Should we warn the others?" she asked.

"They already know." Vincent said.

"What makes you say that?" she asked. Just then the ground began to shake violently.

* * *

**Sora's POV**

We all made it to the edge of the city and we were watching the barrier. Just when we were about to attack, The ground started to shake violently. Everyone as terrified as the barrier showed signs of opening. Dark clouds began to roll in and monsters of all shapes and sizes began to come out of the shadows and fill up the Great Maw, separating us from the castle. there were heartless, nobodies and creatures I've never even seen before. When we looked to the barrier we saw a hole open up and from it a purple light came out and crashed in the center of the monsters.

"What was that? What's going on?" Kairi asked fearfully. Before the smoke cleared the monsters in the surrounding area were struck down. We stared in shock as a woman emerged from the smoke riding an air board, striking down all that lay in her path.

"Is it just me, or is she using a keyblade?" Riku asked. I gave him a confused look. He sighed and pointed at the weapon in her hand. I looked and was shocked to see a blue keyblade in her hand.

"Do you think that she's one of the people were looking for?" I asked him.

"If she is than we had better help her out so that we can earn her trust." Riku replied.

"Let us handle that. You guys just focus on getting inside that barrier." Leon said. With that he, Yuffie, Cloud, Barrett, and Red XIII went off to help fight the monsters.

"I think I'm gonna go and help them. After all, she needs to trust other wielders right?" Axel said. Before any of us could object he jumped off the cliff with a "Turranimooooooooooooo" and he was gone. Everyone just sweat dropped. I sighed, but before I could say anything the barrier exploded and revealed two giant pillars coming from the castle. The power of the pillars sent a shock wave so strong it nearly knocked us off of our feet.

"What incredible power!" Riku said loud enough to be heard over the raging winds. When the pillars dispersed two being emerged from the castle. One appeared to be a monster version of the grim reaper while the other looked to be a kid around my age. It was then that they rose into the sky and clashed blades. The reaper forced the boy back and launched a powerful wave of darkness at him. The boy countered with a wave of red energy and the two waves were grinding against each other until finally causing a massive explosion.

The reaper then appeared before the boy before grabbing his head and throwing him to the ground, causing a massive explosion. The boy seemed unfazed and when the reaper swiped with it's scythe he forced it back to the castle, causing the building to crumble. The boy landed on the ground, as if expecting for the creature to attack again. Suddenly a massive wave of darkness sped towards the boy. He simply held out his hand and unleashed a giant beam of red energy, countering it. From the smoke rose a creature ten times larger than the last with a skull for a face and a ripped cloak covering all but the bones that held the massive scythe.

"What is that thing?" Kairi screamed fearfully.

"Should we help him?" Riku asked. I couldn't respond, I was frozen in fear at the sight of the monster. It seemed to have heard us because it turned to us and launched a giant wave of destructive darkness at us. All of our eyes widened in horror as we realized that we were about to die. Just when it was about to kill us it was blocked by a golden light. We looked for the one responsible for stopping the attack when we saw another boy holing two golden keyblades in his hands. He then sent a powerful wave of light at the creature and it screamed in pain. He then vanished and appeared next to the first boy when the creature began to laugh.

"THAT's IT, SHOW ME YOUR TRUE POWER, BEINGS OF TWILIGHT!" it screamed.

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter, hope you enjoy. Review please, if not, Jay might kill me.**

**Jay: If you don't review I have the perfect excuse to kill him.**

***gulp* Jake, a little help here?**

**Jake: Sorry man, your on your own.**

**Amelia?**

**Amelia: Sorry**

**Jay: *smiles devilishly as he sharpens his demon blade***

**REVIEW PLEEEEEAAAAAASSE! **


	11. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the review bitterbeauty813, you save me from a painful death.**

**Jay: *sulking in a corner* **

***laughs nervously* on with the story.**

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 10: Reasons to Fight**

**Jake's POV**

...

_I could feel my power steadily increase as the battle progressed and so I made to swipe at him. He sent a wave to halt my efforts but I appeared behind him before delivering a powerful kick to his gut, sending him into the air. He seemed shocked by this and as I sped after him he sent a ave at me. It collided but had little effect on me and so I closed the distance between us and unleashed a powerful wave at him, causing a massive explosion. As he fell he vanished and launched a powerful wave from his hand to my face, causing another explosion._

_As I fell to the ground I was to weak to dodge the onslaught of waves he sent my way, and so I found myself silently screaming as agonizing pain filled me to the brim._

...

_Is this the end? Is this how I'm going to_ _die? _It was then That I was engulfed in a flash of light. The pain left me as soon as it came. At first, I wasn't sure what was going on until I opened my eyes. I was in an empty space filled with light and darkness. As I looked around I noticed that I wasn't alone. Standing a few meters away from me were two beings, One was completely white while the other was completely black. The figures then took shape and what I saw shocked me beyond belief. Standing before me were two figures that looked exactly like me, one black and one white. They then summoned keyblades in their hands and looked to me. Before I could say anything they vanished and reappeared on both sides of me. I raised my blades to block and spun to force them back.

_**We've seen them.**_

Before I could look around for the source of the voice the white one appeared behind me and struck, sending me flying. When I recovered the black one appeared above me and punched it's fist into my gut, forcing the air out of my lungs. It then opened it's palm and released a blast of darkness, sending me through the empty space. The black and white then faded and I found myself crashing into the dark meridian from before. I got up just in time to block a ball of light and turned around just in time to block a powerful swipe from the white one. I then forced it back and sent a wave of light it's way. It simply lifted a hand to extinguish it.

**_They were a lot like you._**

That voice, I searched for the source just to realize that it was coming from the beings I was fighting. Just as I came to this conclusion the black one appeared before me before striking with it's blade charged with darkness. I charged Aubade with light and blocked it while looking at the faceless being, causing an explosion.

"Who are you?" I asked. The being simply forced me back with powerful brute strength before the white one appeared behind me and struck. I used Omega weapon to block before forcing it back using the Aubade. once it landed it then opened it's palm and charge up an orb of light while the black one charged up an orb of darkness. I put up my keyblades to block just as they threw the orbs at me, causing a HUGE explosion.

**_We are what's__ left._** Said the black one.

**_Or, perhaps we are all there was to begin_ _with._** Said the white one.

Before the smoke cleared I launched an orb of light at each of them, causing two giant explosions. I then sped to the white one while it was stunned and stabbed it through. It seemed unfazed and just when I thought it was going to kill me it reach out and touched my blades before touching my chest where my heart is. Just then I was engulfed in a blinding flash of light.

**_Will you be the next one to prove his__ worth?_**

When my eyes adjusted I found myself engulfed in a pillar of golden light. I looked myself over to find the the only difference was the power running through my keyblades, causing them to glow. The power of the blade caused the wind to swirl around me as I began to search the sands of this world for my opponent. I found him staring at me wide eyed as he witnessed my new found power. I could feel the incredible power flow through my veins and I couldn't help but smirk under my mask as he got into a battle stance, I knew that this battle was mine. He sent a powerful wave of green darkness my way and the force of my power alone stopped it in it's tracks. I could see the surprise in his eyes as I simply walked through the attack unfazed with an emotionless expression.

I dismissed my blades and his face became expressionless as he tried to determine my next move. My face became emotionless as the overwhelming power began to dull my senses. He then vanished and reappeared behind me before delivering a powerful swipe. The force of my power blocked the attack, causing a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared he stared, dumbfounded as I took his head and forced him to the ground, causing another massive explosion. I then summoned the Aubade and raised it to deliver the finishing blow when his power surpassed mine for a moment, allowing him to escape. I then looked up to find him standing a few feet away with an emotionless expression on his face.

_I thought so, he was holding back this whole time._ As I came to this conclusion I felt a powerful presence that surpassed mine. He must have sensed it as well because with in seconds I found myself floating high above the kingdom. I then searched for the source of the power to find a giant monster version of the Reaper. When I looked back there was no sign of my opponent. _Where could he have disappeared to?_ As the thought crossed my mind I felt the wind shift and looked down just in time to see the monster unleash a wave of darkness at a group of what looked like bystanders. Without skipping a beat, I sped to intercept the wave._ I hope I'm not too_ _late_, was my only thought as I closed the distance between me and the wave. When the smoke cleared from the resulting explosion, I charged Aubade with light before launching a wave at the creature as payback for attacking civilians. As it screamed in pain I noticed Jay on the battle field and appeared next to him before turning to the monster who was now laughing maniacally.

"THAT's IT, SHOW ME YOUR TRUE POWER, BEINGS OF TWILIGHT!" it screamed. I could tell it was Grimm from the sound of his voice. Jay and I barely had enough time to acknowledge each other's presence before Grimm struck down with his massive scythe, forcing us to break apart and flank him. Once apart we attacked with a barrage of fireballs and orbs of light. A barrier of darkness appeared to block our blow before he countered with a swift swipe towards Jay. Jay stopped the attack in mid-swipe with his blade, causing a shock-wave of power. He then used his keyblade to send a powerful flame at Grimm, causing a large explosion. When the smoke cleared Grimm seemed unfazed by the attack and struck Jay, sending him crashing to the ground. Grimm then turned and swiped at me with his weapon. I blocked the scythe with Aubade before sending a powerful wave of light using omega weapon. Grimm screamed in pain before striking me, sending me to the ground. He raised his blade to finish me when a wave of red energy crashed into his back. He turned around to see Jay speeding towards him with his blade raised.

He blocked the attack with ease before sending him flying. He then grew dark tentacles from his back and launched a barrage of darkness at him. I then appeared in front of Jay and blocked the attack before Speeding towards him. He raised the massive scythe to block but I forced him back with the strength of the attack. Jay then appeared behind him before unleashing a powerful beam of red energy. The explosion caused the dust to stir and we were momentarily blinded. When the smoke cleared Grimm swiped madly at Jay. Jay easily avoided the strikes and sent a ball of flame at Grimm's face. Grimm then rose his monstrous form to the sky and began to absorb darkness from the monsters he summoned. Amelia appeared by our side and we could only watch as the darkness engulfed Grimm's monstrous form in a massive pillar that seemed to rip large rock formations from the earth itself.

When the pillar vanished Grimm was engulfed in a massive orb of darkness that seemed to be watching the world from beyond the clouds and the rock formation seemed to be floating from lack of gravity. As we looked closer we saw that the rock formations were teaming with countless Hollows. As we measured our odds the barrier of darkness exploded and from it emerged a creature twice the size of Grimm's monstrous form. The creature had two pairs of demon wings and skulls floated around the head engulfed in purple flames. A torn cloth covered all but the flaming skull and the bones carrying the scythes. The hollows charged up their energy and we examined the enemy before looking back to Grimm. Grimm pointed at us and a miniature war broke out.

The hollows unleashed a barrage of energy orbs at us and Jay walked in front to create a flame shield. As the hollows focused their attacks on the shield Amelia and I flanked them on both sides before Taking to the sky and landing on different rock formations, relentlessly striking down hollows. With the hollows distracted with us Jay took down the shield and unleashed a powerful beam of energy that obliterated the smaller rocks that were teaming with hollows before flying in to join the fight. Once I finished off the last hollow on this rock formation I looked around to find Amelia in trouble. The hollows surrounded her before unleashing an onslaught of energy. I appeared before her and created a barrier that shielded us from the attack. When I dropped it I used blades of wind and cut down half of them before moving to the next rock, letting her handle the rest.

As I flew to the next rock some flying hollows appeared and sped towards me. Before they could get close, however, a demon blade engulfed in flames flew by me and cut them down one by one before returning to Jay's hand, who then used his flames to help me get to another rock formation. Once I landed a wave of hollows attacked me. I twirled my blades to get a good feel of them before attacking. As I defeated the second wave a few hollows attacked from behind. I wasn't able to turn around in time to block, but I didn't have to. A beam of purple energy took them out and when I looked for the source I found Amelia heading towards another rock formation. I took down the last wave before looking around to find that half of the enemies have been cut down. I then saw Jay being chased be flying hollows and sent a wave of light to cut them down before moving to the next rock formation.

* * *

**Sora's POV**

We stood there and watched in awe as the monsters were easily annihilated by only three key bearers. The monsters that Squall and the others were fighting had long since disappeared. At first, we didn't know what was going on. That is, until the darkness from the creatures started to be absorbed by the giant monster version of a Grimm Reaper. After seeing this Squall told us to head back and evacuate the city. When we got back, however, we found a barrier protecting it from any stray attacks. Instead, we decided to watch the battle between the monster and the wielders to find any strategies to use against them should we have to fight them.

So far the search seemed in vain. The wielders have grace and amazing skill, allowing them to effortlessly eliminate the creatures. Their power seems unmatched and their stamina seemed endless. So far, no matter how hard we searched we couldn't find any weaknesses, all the more reason to make them allies instead of enemies. Though they were good, there was some thing off about the way they fought. They looked no older than fifteen and yet it's like they've been fighting for more than a few decades. There is also something else about the way they fight. It's nothing like us when we fought to save the worlds, they way they fight looks as if it's deeper than that, as if it's not the world they care about but something that's much more important to them. At first I thought I was over thinking things. That is, until Kairi spoke.

"Hey guys? What do suppose...they're fighting for?" She asked with a hand on her chest and her eyes glued to the battle. At this we looked to her with confused expressions plastered on our faces.

"What do you mean, Kairi?" Riku asked. When she heard her name she gave a quick glance in our direction before looking back at the battle. It wasn't quick enough, however, for we already saw her watery eyes. Kairi was crying.

"It's just...they don't seem to be interested in protecting us at all. It seems...that their fight goes a lot deeper than than that." she said.

"What would make you think that?" I asked softly.

"I can see it...in their eyes. I can see the deep pain in their hearts." was all she said before she let the tears slide freely down her cheek. At her response Riku turned to watch the battle while I stared at the girl before me. I had heard that she had special powers as a princess of heart and that the keyblade allowed her to use those powers. I just couldn't help but wonder at what she saw. As I thought a bout it I found myself watching the fight again. I was watching the fire wielder defeat a bunch of heartless when I saw it.

It was right in their eyes, just as she said it was. When I looked into their eyes all I saw was pain, a deep pain that seemed to be endless. Each had a different kind of pain hidden behind their masked faces. In the one who used flames, I saw anger, frustration and guilt. It's as if he blames himself for a horrible loss and despises his very own existence. When I looked at the girl I saw pity and helplessness, as if she desperately wishes to heal the pain of her friends and end their suffering, no matter the cost. Finally, when I looked to the duel wielder I saw...a deep sadness and turmoil, as if he's angry at the ones who despise him without giving him a chance, but he doesn't blame them and instead blames himself for being different. At the same time it seems that he wishes to pursue a better future despite the odds.

That's when I realized that what Kairi said is true. They aren't fighting for us, they're fighting for themselves, for their own reasons.

* * *

**Jake's POV**

Once I was done killing the monsters on this rock I looked around for my friends. Amelia moved to join me while Jay finished off the flying hollows. We joined up and looked to the beast that was Grimm and saw that he was still gathering dark energy. _We defeated the hollows, so where is he getting the energy from?_ As this thought passed through my head I looked to the town to find it infested with heartless. There were some people with strange weapons who fought the heartless as well as some more keyblade wielders, but at the rate they were fighting they would lose the fight soon. I then looked to my friends to find them looking at the town before looking to me for a plan. I nodded and looked to Amelia.

"You take care of the heartless. Jay and I can handle him." At the end of my sentence I looked to Grimm before turning back to my friends who nodded. Within seconds she was headed for town while Jay and I sped towards the biggest rock formation at the top of this gravity-defying pillar. When we got to it we looked to Grimm to find that he had stopped gathering energy. _Amelia's fast. _I looked to Jay to find him looking at Grimm with determination in his eyes.

"You ready?" I asked. He looked at me and simply nodded before turning back to Grimm. I turned to Grimm also.

"Alright, let's end this." At my word we ran towards the end of the rock before jumping off and speeding towards Grimm.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter took so long. I had writers block for a while. I'm also sorry that this chapter is short. I'll try to come up with longer chapters.**


	12. Chapter 11

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story. The song "Fragments of sorrow" fits the fight a little.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 11: Void of the dead**

**Jake's POV**

...

_"You take care of the heartless. Jay and I can handle him." At the end of my sentence I looked to Grimm before turning back to my friends who nodded. Within seconds she was headed for town while Jay and I sped towards the biggest rock formation at the top of this gravity-defying pillar. When we got to it we looked to Grimm to find that he had stopped gathering energy. Amelia's fast. I looked to Jay to find him looking at Grimm with determination in his eyes._

_"You ready?" I asked. He looked at me and simply nodded before turning back to Grimm. I turned to Grimm also._

_"Alright, let's end this." At my word we ran towards the end of the rock before jumping off and speeding towards Grimm._

_..._

When we got close Grimm swung downward with his scythes. Jay got in front of me and blocked the blow with his blades. Wile Grimm was distracted I launched waves of light at him, causing him to scream in pain before forcing Jay away and launching a barrage of orbs at me. I easily evaded the attack and moved to strike when he swiped with his scythes, forcing me back. Jay then came up from behind him and launched a powerful fire ball at his back, causing a small but strong explosion. Grimm made to swipe at him but I blocked the blow and forced the weapon back before launching a wave, stunning him. Then Jay launched a barrage of fire balls and red energy waves at him, dealing a lot of damage.

Grimm then created a barrier to stop the attack before sending orbs of darkness at us. We split up and made to avoid the attacks only to find them following us, to our shock. Jay countered his with fire balls, causing the sky to light up from the explosions. I created a barrier and waited while the orbs exploded. I then looked at Grimm just in time to block a furry of blows before he used an energy wave to force me away, smashing one of the rock formations. Jay then came up from behind and struck at Grimm, forcing him away before unleashing a barrage of flames at his back. Grimm turned around and countered with orbs of darkness, causing more explosions. When the smoke cleared Grimm struck Jay with his massive scythe only to have it stopped in mid-swing by Jay's demon blade. Jay forced the weapon away and launched a giant fire ball in Grimm face, causing him to scream in agonizing pain.

I then came up and sent a wave of light at Grimm's back, sending him flying forward where Jay then launched fire balls at one of the skulls, destroying it. Grimm screamed in more pain before a pillar of darkness engulfed him. When the pillar vanished all of the skulls were covered in dark energy and they attacked. Four skulls went after me while the other four went after Jay. I made to destroy one of the skulls with a wave but one of Grimm's scythes blocked my attack. The skull I was attacking then sent a dark fire ball at point-blank range, causing a small explosion. As I fell I looked to Jay to find him bouncing the dark attacks back to the skulls, destroying them while the scythe was busy blocking his attacks. I then flew back up and tried the same tactic.

I sent a wave at one of the skulls only for it to be blocked by the scythe. The skull then fired a ball at me and I bounced it back using Aubade. The fire ball destroyed one of the skulls, but before I could celebrate I heard an all too familiar scream of pain. I took a quick glance at Grimm to find the beast holding his head in pain as a glowing orb on his chest suddenly blew out. He stopped screaming but he looked as if he was getting tired. That's when I realized that the skulls were the source of his power. I glanced at Jay to find that he seemed to have noticed the same thing. I then looked back at the skulls and continued to destroy them. With every skull that we destroyed Grimm screamed with pain, which meant that our plan was working. Once all of the skulls were destroyed the scythes returned to their owners hands, but the beast looked to tired to wield them. Jay and I then joined up on the biggest rock formation before facing Grimm, thinking we had won.

"Give up Grimm, you've lost." I said as I pointed Omega Weapon at him. What he did next both threw us off guard, but at the same time we saw it coming. He started to laugh...again.

"Do you really think that you've won? My dear boy, we've only just begun." When he said this wisps of darkness started to come off of his beastly form.

"You think that I'm a tool, but you are just a fool." His body became cloaked in darkness and the wisps grew in size and power. We took a few steppes back and got into our battle stances.

"If you really want to fight, let me lend you a hand. After all, you're going to my dead land." Grimm was engulfed in a pillar of darkness. We took a few more steppes back.

"Do you really want to win? THEN LET THE FUN BEGIN!" When he finished the pillar turned into a jet-black orb that swallowed Grimm. We turned around and started running but before we could reach the edge of the rock formation everything went black.

* * *

**Third person POV**

**On a cliff a few miles away...**

The duo had been watching the battle for a while now, waiting for the right moment to jump in the fight. Both were the size of children, no older than fifteen years of age. One was wearing an Organization coat with a black t-shirt, black pants, black boots and black gloves. He also wore a silver chain with a four pointed star around his neck. He looked to his temporary companion to find him watching the battle with a serious expression on his face, which surprised him. _What he said must be true then, he does have a heart now. One a strong light in it, even if he doesn't admit_ _it._ The other boy was wearing a black and red-striped jumpsuit. He had a black biker helmet that allowed others to see nothing but his glowing, golden eyes. They were both riding advanced motorcycles that had the ability to transform into flying vehicles.**(A/N the bikes from Blasseiter.) **The boy turned his blue eyes back to the battle and continued to wait. His blond hair swayed in the wind as he waited for the opportunity to make their appearance.

"There, You ready Vanitas?" He said as the giant orb of darkness appeared. He then looked over to find Vanitas already headed for the orb. Seeing this he revved up the engine and sped after him.

"Your too slow Roxas." Vanitas said from his bike. Within second they were in the air and speeding for the orb. Little did they know, that they had been spotted.**(A/N Vanitas has Haman's bike and Roxas has Joseph's old bike.)**

* * *

**Axel's POV**

"BURN BABY!" 56, that's how many monsters I've killed in the past ten minutes trying to locate that woman from before. You see, when I jumped off the cliff and joined the fight I did it to get close to her. I managed to stick with her and help her out a few times, but the second I look another way she vanishes. I've been looking for her ever since. I have to admit though, this isn't the first time a girl ditched me. This is, however, the first time I chased after one. Back to the point here I am with a bunch of creatures I haven't even heard of trying to kill me, joy.

I summoned up my Chakrams and threw them at a crowd of monsters with Bond of Flame. As I cut down the first wave and burned the second wave to a crisp, a horde of monsters attacked from behind. I thought I was going to die at that very moment, instead I was saved by the very person I was searching for. Her keyblade flew through the air before returning to her hand. When she landed she took a few more out before appearing behind me. We were back to back now, surrounded by a horde of monsters.

"All of your friends left already. So why are you still here?" She asked as she took down a monster.

"I could ask you the same thing, beautiful. I thought civilians were supposed to stay in the city, behind the barrier." I said as I burned a few more monsters.

"Not to mention that there should only be five key-bearers in this world right now, not six. Looks like you've got some explaining to do." She stayed silent as she mercilessly annihilated the creatures. I smirked and went to strike the creatures ahead of me, only to have them vanish into wisps of darkness. I looked around to find that all of the monsters were disappearing into wisps. _What's going on?_ Was my only thought as the creatures continued to disintegrate. Suddenly the ground shook violently, almost knocking me off my feet. I looked for the source and found, to my utter shock, a MASSIVE pillar of darkness sprouting from the ground. That pillar then turned into an orb that engulfed that giant monster and continued to grow. I then looked around for the girl to find her speeding towards the orb on her glider. Knowing I wouldn't be able to follow her I started to head back when I noticed two other flying objects heading for the orb. Once the objects flew inside, the orb faded away, as if it wasn't part of this reality to begin with. With that I headed back to regroup with the others.

* * *

**Sora's POV**

...

_It was right in their eyes, just as she said it was. When I looked into their eyes all I saw was pain, a deep pain that seemed to be endless. Each had a different kind of pain hidden behind their masked faces. In the one who used flames, I saw anger, frustration and guilt. It's as if he blames himself for a horrible loss and despises his very own existence. When I looked at the girl I saw pity and helplessness, as if she desperately wishes to heal the pain of her friends and end their suffering, no matter the cost. Finally, when I looked to the duel wielder I saw...a deep sadness and turmoil, as if he's angry at the ones who despise him without giving him a chance, but he doesn't blame them and instead blames himself for being different. At the same time it seems that he wishes to pursue a better future despite the odds._

_That's when I realized that what Kairi said is true. They aren't fighting for us, they're fighting for themselves, for their own reasons._

...

After an hour of watching the fight in the sky we decided that we would be better off helping the others fight off the new monsters. We regretted that decision soon after. These new creatures were stronger then both the heartless and the nobodies and within minutes we were forced to retreat behind the barrier and watch the battle from the computer screen in Ansem's lab. Well, most of us anyway.

"Has anyone seen Axel?" I asked, watching the screen intently.

"Hold on, let's see here." Sid said as he press a few buttons. Within moments the screen flickered to a horde of monsters circling around Axel. I was about to run back out to help him when Leon grabbed my arm to stop me. He then gestured back to the screen where we saw a wave of monsters easily taken down by a random keyblade. The blade returned to the hand of one of the other wielders, the ones we are looking for. They exchanged a few words and fought a few monsters before all of the monsters disintegrated and a giant pillar of darkness appeared. The pillar then turned into a orb that started to grow and the woman started speeding towards it on her glider. A few minutes after she was in the orb vanished, much to our shock and disappointment.

"Sid, what happened? Where did it go?" Vincent asked.

"Hold yur horses...It didn't go anywhere?!" Sid said dumbfounded.

"What do you mean? Is it invisible?" Tifa asked.

"Not quite." Merlin said after popping up out of no where.

"Explain." Leon commanded.

"It's a certain type of barrier. One that is both here and not here, a pocket between different timelines, different dimensions if you will. As it a distortion between space and time no physical object can penetrate it without cancelling the distortion. Like the Lanes Between it acts like a gateway, a road between different worlds in our universe. Unlike the Lanes Between, however, this type of gateway is a passage through time as well as space, allowing the user to travel to other worlds in the multi-verse." Merlin explained.

"Can you get us in?" I asked.

"Now why would you want to do that my dear boy?" I looked to Kairi and Riku, silently asking if it was alright to tell them. The duo looked to each other before smiling and looking back at me. They nodded and I looked to the king to find him nodding as well. I smiled and turned back to Merlin.

"There is a new threat attacking the worlds. One that is even stronger than Xehanort and because of that we don't have the power to stop it. We do, however, know of some people that have that power and we're here to convince them to fight with us. Only there are two problems. First we either have to convince them to join us or take them by force and second, they're in there." I said as I pointed to the place where the orb should be. I waited for a response as they took the information in. Finally, Tifa spoke.

"Leon, Aerith and I will help with the convincing." she said as she pounded her fist into her open palm. Said people just nodded in agreement.

"I will get started on the barrier, but it may take some time depending on how strong the barrier is." said Merlin. I gave them my thanks.

* * *

**Jay's POV**

It was dark, dark and cold. Look familiar? **  
**

"Jay?! Jay wake up!" I slowly opened my eyes to find Amelia looking at me with a worried expression on her face. When she saw that I was awake she smile and immediately wrapped me in a hug.

"Your ok, thank god." she said.

"W-What happened?" Jake asked groggily from next to us. Amelia then used her right arm to drag him into a group hug.

"Your both ok." she said softly. Jake and I simply looked at each other with confused expressions when we realized that even though we were knocked out, we hadn't changed back to our original forms. Amelia finally let go of us and we got a look at our surroundings. We seemed to be in a graveyard that seemed to go on forever. The ground was covered with dust and ash as far as the eyes could see and a fog seemed to be rolling in. The entire world was grey and lifeless. We were about to get up and look around when Grimm's beast form appeared before us. We summoned our blades and got into our battle stances.

"If it were me I'd had your head, but instead welcome to my void of the dead." Was all he said before he rose to a platform above us and summoned reapers to attack us. Before we could attack them three keyblades flew threw the air and took down a wave before returning to their owners' hands. the wielders descended on hover-bikes and started to take down reapers left and right. We summoned our boards before nodding to each-other and splitting up. Amelia went off to help the new comers beat the endless hordes of reapers while Jake and I headed for Grimm.

"You know we're gonna need help if we're gonna beat this guy." I said.

"Use the Aeons." was all he said. He didn't need to tell me, when we reached the platform Ifrit and I launched a giant fireball at the bastard. He screamed in agony and swiped madly at us. Odin blocked the blows and Jake sent a GIANT wave at him. He screamed in more pain and tried to launch orbs at us but they were countered by Ifrit's fireballs. Ifrit then jumped up and landed a few good flame punches before returning to my side. Grimm swiped at us with his scythes only to have them blocked by Ifrit's shackles. Odin then came over and used his blades to shatter one of the scythes before kicking Grimm to Jake. Jake then used the light as a boost and blasted through the beast and ripping out Grimm's human form. Odin and Ifrit then Charged up their power and released it, destroying the world around them and sending us to their realm.

The beast launched powerful orbs at Ifrit who jumped in the air and crossed his arms in front of him, letting his shackles take in most of the blow. The resulting explosion gave him enough time to gather energy for his strongest attack. The fires off hell swirled around him and soon he was engulfed in flames. Odin knew what was happening and created a barrier to shield us from the power of the attack. Ifrit then used the energy to create a fireball as big as the sun before throwing it down, causing a blinding, powerful, MASSIVE explosion, obliterating the world we were trapped in.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	13. Chapter 12

******Sorry this chapter took sooooooo long. I kinda got hurt and I had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks. Long story short, I won't be using my leg any time soon.**

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 12: The Destroyers**

**Jake's POV**

...

_The beast launched powerful orbs at Ifrit who jumped in the air and crossed his arms in front of him, letting his shackles take in most of the blow. The resulting explosion gave him enough time to gather energy for his strongest attack. The fires off hell swirled around him and soon he was engulfed in flames. Odin knew what was happening and created a barrier to shield us from the power of the attack. Ifrit then used the energy to create a fireball as big as the sun before throwing it down, causing a blinding, powerful, MASSIVE explosion, obliterating the world we were trapped in._

_..._

When the light faded I looked around to find that the world Grimm had trapped us in had been replaced by a chamber in some castle's basement. Seeing that he wasn't needed anymore, Odin vanished in a flash of light. Ifrit had vanished a while ago, the attack having drained his energy. I looked over to Jay and Amelia, making sure they were ok before taking a better look at my surroundings. Inside the chamber there was another platform 50 feet above us and the only light was generated by glowing blue crystals that floated in the room. I took a closer looked at the crystals and soon regretted it, my eyes widening in horror and shock.

"Amelia, close your eyes." Jay suddenly said. I looked to him to find anger and sadness.

"Why?" she asked curiously before looking at the crystals.

"JUST DO IT!" I yelled angrily. My eyes becoming as cold and dark as Jay's before becoming emotionless, but it was too late. Her eyes widened in terrifying horror as she stared at the scene before us. The corpses and bodies of at least ten people were floating in the crystals. The bodies of men, women and children floated around with looks of horror forever etched into their faces until they reached the bottom of the crystal where they would emerge a disgusting monster and drip into the sea of beasts below us. At this point Jay threw me his trench coat and I quickly covered her body, blinding her from the scene. She was shaking in terror and I held her close in an attempt to calm her down.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" At the voice Jay and I looked to the platform above us to find the old man from before. The man then shifted his form and now looked to be no older then 15. I looked to Jay and he simply nodded before walking over to comfort Amelia before I walked to the center of our platform.

"Humans are such frail and vile creatures. They fight for no reason, they steal, the lie, they kill without hesitation or mercy. They are greedy, ambitious, violent, lustful and destructive beings. So when they are introduced the the smallest bit of dark power, their true nature is revealed and the become savage monsters that will kill and destroy all that lay in their path until all that remain are themselves. Those who are strong become one with the darkness and use it's power to control the weak minded population of beasts. And then there are those that are stronger still ..." As he said the last sentence, Dark portals opened up behind him and from them a group of people wearing the same dark coat emerged from them. Their hoods were up so we couldn't see their faces. I summoned the Aubade and glared at them.

"Who are you?" I asked darkly.

"We are the Destroyers. People who were chosen to carry out the final plan left to us by the creator. I go by the name of Chronos and the ones you see behind me are the ones I have chosen to assist me with this task."

"What are you doing to these people?"

"Theses people are those who have given in to the darkness. Their greed, anger, fear and ambition have led them into the darkest depths of their own black hearts. As a result, the reached out to the dark for power and that power came at a cost. Their souls, as you see before you have become dark as their monstrous nature is revealed, turning them into beasts. This is the true nature of the evil darkness everyone fears."

"Where's Katie?" Jay suddenly asked darkly as he put the sleeping woman down.

"That girl? She will be under our care until we have no further use of you."

"Why? Just what the hell do you want from us?"

"You'll know, in due time. Until then you must focus on getting stronger, if you want to see your friend again that is." with that the destroyers summoned dark portals and soon as the did so, the monsters below us began to climb their way to us. I looked back to my friends to find them getting into their battle stances and I did the same as I looked upon the droves of creatures.

* * *

**Roxas' POV**

Once we were inside the barrier, we looked around to find that we were in a round room that broke off in several corridors. I scanned the place, making sure that no one had seen us, before I turned around and pressed a button on the side of my bike, reverting it to a small cube form that I could place in my pocket.

"Hey...Roxas, right?" I turned around to find Vanitas with a small smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked stoically.

"Just out of curiosity, Why did you decide to join us? That is, what's in it for you?" I remained silent.

"After all, you don't look like the kind of guy that's willing to help out total strangers for nothing. Am I right.?" He is, but I don't bother answering his question.

"I could ask you the same question." I said instead. He simply smirked at my antics. That guy really pisses me off sometimes.

"It's simple really, I mean it's not like I have a lot of options." He said as he started to pace around the room.

"Not that it matters anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that there's a good chance that once all of this is over we might disappear. You already know why right?"

"Because were fighting people who have damaged the timeline, right?"

"If you know that, then you also know that by fighting with us, you might disappear."

"..."

"'This battle that we now face is a battle that bends time and space, distorting it and creating a rupture in the time/space continuum. As such, when we defeat the people causing the anomaly, the anomaly will repair itself. But in order to do that all those who have interfered with the anomaly must be sent back to their own time or disappear for good' that's what Joseph said right? I don't have a place to go back to or a place to belong, that's why I can fight, but you still have a chance to live your own life. Especially now that you have a heart, so why did you choose to fight instead?"

"..."

"You could have went to twilight town and lived out a normal life with the blond and the ravenette. So, my question remains. Why did you choose to fight this battle instead of living a peaceful life like you've always wanted, noble duel-wielder?"

* * *

**Sora's POV**

...

**A few months ago**

I was panting from exhaustion after running to catch up with that raven haired girl in the last of the lost dream worlds, the World that Never Was. I've never met her before but she looked so familiar, and so sad. When I got to the top of the steps I looked around the neon lit streets and buildings when I saw a figure in an organization coat standing by one of the buildings. I ran to them, thinking it was the girl, but when I stopped a few feet away from it it removed it's hood and turned to face me, causing me to hold my breath.

There, standing before me, was my nobody Roxas. I stood up and stared at him, wondering what he was doing here, when I saw a sad smile on his face, like he's given up and chose to except his fate. He walked over to me until we were two feet apart.

"Rox..." I tried to speak, only for him to hold a hand up for silence before resting it by his side once again. His smile faded and he began to speak.

"This could have been the other way around...but it really has to be you." he stated sadly.

"..."

"You have so many hearts, all connected with yours. Your me, so you can feel what I've felt." Suddenly the reality of the situation hit me. Roxas was fading away. He was suffering like this because of me. He was happy with his life and his friends, but all of that was taken away because of his fate to join with me, because everyone believed that I was the key. Because of his fate, he would never be able to live his own life, never be able to be happy, all because he's my nobody.

Standing with him now, I saw that he never deserved any of this. He's just someone who wants to be happy and cared for his friends, he didn't need to get dragged into this. I won't let him give up and fade away like this, not when he still has a chance.

"No...Roxas, you're you, I wanted to tell you that before. You have as much a right as I do to be your own person." He seemed shocked by this answer, but soon his face held the greatest smile I had ever seen. A smile of true happiness, which really confused me.

"Sora, see?" he asked sadly once again."That's why it has to be you." With that he reached out and grabbed my hands. I couldn't really register what he was doing before memories of his life flooded into head exploded in pain and I was shaking in shock as all of his memories became mine. When he finished I felt him release me and I looked down to find that he had vanished.

By now I was shaking in anger from the things I had seen Xemnas make him and his friends do. They had all suffered so much, all because of Him. All of their anger, their sadness, their suffering, all of the pain in their hearts, all because of His plan for Kingdom Hearts. I then got up and continued my hunt for Xemnas.

...

Thinking back, I wonder if...I could have done anything for them. I can still remember the smiles on their faces from his memories, its was the happiest moments I could ever see in those nobodies. _No, not nobodies, people_. They were so happy together, like me and my friends. Their bond was strong and they would do anything for each other. If anyone deserved a right to live normal lives and have hearts of their own, those guys did. The organization destroyed their happiness for their plans, but even then they would stay together and fight for each other.

Even when the organization tried to get rid of their bond, they fought to keep it. Then that girl, Xion, was forced to make Roxas kill her because of them. She thought that by fading away, I would wake up and beat them. I guess she didn't count on Roxas fading, because she asked him to set Kingdom Hearts free. In the end, they sacrificed everything for us to beat Xemnas, even if it meant fading away. The only one left was Axel, and he hasn't smiled or really opened up to us since, now I know why.

Just when they thought they could finally rest, that man takes them. They've given up everything, only to be dragged into another war. That's why, when all of this is over and I find them again, I'm going to make sure they get the lives they deserve.

**_"Not that it matters anyway." _**I looked around Ansem's lab for the source of the sudden intruding voice. I found nothing and it didn't look like my friends heard it either. I thought it was my imagination at first, until I heard an all too familiar voice ring in my head.

**_"What do you_ mean?"** It was Roxas's voice. When the thought crossed my mind I suddenly found myself in a round room along with him and his companion. It didn't look like they could see me so I decided to listen in on their conversation.

**_"I mean that there's a good chance that once all of this is over we might disappear. You already know why_ right?"** _Disappear? What do they mean by that? Why is Roxas here in the first place? What is going on here?_ Rather then voice my thoughts, I continued to listen in.

**_"Because were fighting people who have damaged the timeline,_ right?"** _Timeline?_

**_"If you know that, then you also know that by fighting with us, you might disappear."_**

**_"..."_**

**_"'This battle that we now face is a battle that bends time and space, distorting it and creating a rupture in the time/space continuum. As such, when we defeat the people causing the anomaly, the anomaly will repair itself. But in order to do that all those who have interfered with the anomaly must be sent back to their own time or disappear for good' that's what Joseph said right? I don't have a place to go back to or a place to belong, that's why I can fight, but you still have a chance to live your own life. Especially now that you have a heart, so why did you choose to fight_ instead?"** _Battle of time and space? Anomalies? All this info is starting to give me a headache._

**_"..."_**

**_"You could have went to twilight town and lived out a normal life with the blond and the ravenette. So, my question remains. Why did you choose to fight this battle instead of living a peaceful life like you've always wanted, noble duel-wielder?"_ **Before I hear an answer the world around me fades away and is replaced by one that's surrounded by darkness. There were two portals on opposite ends of the slowly crumbling world and armies of darkness and light sprouted from both. It was then that I realized that this world was Radiant Garden. One portal lead into a battle field where I could see wielders of light and darkness locked in combat, from it sprouted creatures of all shapes and sizes that have escaped the carnage Among them were heartless, nobodies and some others I couldn't recognize, as well as a few wielders of darkness. From the other portal emerged what appeared to be angels, demons, and reapers. As I looked closer I saw that it also held what I assumed to be the ones responsible for the powerful darkness.

A familiar gummi-ship appeared and landed in the city, only for a barrier to rise over the city as soon as it hits the ground. I search for the cause of the barrier when my eyes widen in shock. On the side of the barrier where the war is being held, Organization 13, save for Xemnas and Xigbar, were taking defensive positions around the perimeter. Leading them were Roxas and his friends. On the other side of the barrier stood the beings of twilight and others I didn't recognize. The armies halt for a few minutes, as if waiting for an order, before they descend on the barrier, only to be forced back before they could take another step. At that moment the Organization strikes the enemy, letting none get through their defense The beings of twilight grew brilliant wings and took flight after the leaders of the enemy while the others ran with unheard of speed into the fray.

As the battle continues I find the world turning to dust before my eyes, before finding myself waking up on one of the couches. Taking a look around, I found that I was back in Ansem's lab, and I release a sigh of relief. The feeling was short-lived, however, when an alarm sounded. I jumped from the couch and ran to Sid, asking for an explanation.

* * *

**Roxas' POV**

I was going to answer his question when the ground suddenly shook violently beneath our feet. Before we could register what was going on we found ourselves surrounded by monsters.**( A/N The monsters from Blassreiter. I think they were called Imalgums.)** I summoned my blades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, and hacked away at the creatures, knowing that magic has little to no effect on them. Vanitas summoned his blade, Void Gear, and joined the fight. We held nothing back as we skillfully handled the Imalgums with our blades and skills. Soon the last of the creatures disintegrated and I dismissed my blades. I looked to Vanitas and saw him nod before I walked to the center of the platform and closed my eyes. It wasn't long before I felt their power coming from the Northwest corridor, and I started down that hallway, Vanitas following close behind.

* * *

**Jay's ****POV**

So close, I was so close to finding her, only to fall into another trap. Damn those bastards, because of them we have to go through all of this crap. All because of their stupid plans. I swore as the monsters came at us at all sides. Anger rushed through me as I readied my weapons and got into a battle stance. Because of them one of my friends had been taken from me, I wouldn't let them take another. _This time I won't hold back._ I felt rage and the desire to protect my friends fill me to the brim as I charged the monsters ahead of me. When I got to the first monster I let my emotions power my actions and sliced in two before decapitating the one behind it. As they disintegrated into dust I made for the next wave and cut down four monsters with one swipe. I then charged my blade with energy and swiped at the rest, shocked at what I saw. A powerful wave of darkness not only wiped out the next wave, but the waves after it as well causing a monstrous explosion.

When the smoke cleared I looked to my blade to find it shrouded in darkness with a glowing white aura around it. It felt different from the darkness of the Destroyers, almost as if it wasn't darkness, but black light. I spent only seconds pondering over my new found power when I heard a scream behind me. I turned around and my eyes widened in shock as I saw a large wave of monsters about to collapse on Amelia. It was then that I remembered she was still recovering from what we saw earlier, so she could fight as well. One look at the distance between her and the two of us made me realize that we wouldn't make it in time. I could see Jake shouting her name as we try to reach her. Suddenly, two keyblades flew in from above and defeated them before they could hurt her.

We watched as the blades returned to their owner's hand as he and his partner ran down an empty corridor. He was wearing the same coat as Destroyers but I felt no danger coming from him. His partner was wearing a black and red-striped jumpsuit and a helmet that hid his face. He held a black chained keyblade tightly in his hands.

"VANITAS." the one in the coat shouted before launching into the fray.

"Right." was the only response before the figure in the suit jumped in front of Amelia and got into a defensive position. I looked to Jake to find him staring back and we both shrugged before rejoining the fight. Between my new powers, Jake and the newcomers, the battle was over within minutes. Jake and I walked over to Amelia to see if she was alright While the newcomers stood a few feet away from us. When we were sure that she was ok Jake stood and face them. One had spiky, blond hair and blue eyes while the other had gravity-defying, raven colored hair and golden eyes. Jake walked over to them and extended his right hand.

"Thanks a lot for helping us out, I'm Jake." he said. The blond shook his hand before responding.

"I'm Roxas, and that's Vanitas." he introduced. The ravenette simply waved.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jake asked.

"We were asked to come down here and give you a hand."

"By who?"

"Someone who says he has the answers your looking for. We'll explain later but right now we need to find a way to get out of here." At that statement we all looked around for a door or a portal that could get us out of here. It was then that I spotted a huge glowing crack in the wall.

"Hey, what about that?" I said as I pointed to it.

"It looks like a crack in the barrier. Any ideas on how to get through it?" Jake asked.

"If we charge our blades and attack at the same time we should be able to destroy the barrier." Roxas stated.

"Alright then, let's give it a shot." With that we all stood in a line, save for Amelia, and charged our keyblades. We then pointed the blades at the crack and released to energy, causing a blinding light.

* * *

**Sora's POV**

****Seconds from when I jumped from the couch dozens of alarms went off. Ansem's computer was going haywire from the power coming from the sphere. Within moments everyone in the Radiant Garden Restoration Comity was in Ansem's lab as we tried to figure out what was happening.

"SID, WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Leon shouted, trying to be heard over the alarms.

"I DON'T KNOW, THE DAMN MACHINE'S GONE HAYWIRE!" as soon as he finished that sentence the entire world around us was shrouded in light.

* * *

** I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, later.**


	14. Chapter 13

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 13: Second Meeting**

**Sora's POV**

...

_Seconds from when I jumped from the couch dozens of alarms went off. Ansem's computer was going haywire from the power coming from the sphere. Within moments everyone in the Radiant Garden Restoration Comity was in Ansem's lab as we tried to figure out what was happening._

_"SID, WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Leon shouted, trying to be heard over the alarms._

_"I DON'T KNOW, THE __DAMN MACHINE'S GONE HAYWIRE!" as soon as he finished that sentence the entire world around us was shrouded in light._

_..._

When the light faded I looked at the screen to find that the barrier had vanished. Looking at the other screens I saw that there wasn't a single heartless of dark cloud left in the sky, confirming my suspicions. As everyone in the room slowly gained their senses I took a closer look at the computer screen. It was then that I noticed five unconscious figure lying on the ground._ That makes things easier, _I thought.

"What happened?" Riku as he regained his sight.

"I don't know, but the barrier is gone and the darkness left with it." I responded.

"That takes care of one problem." Leon muttered.

"Yeah, but what about the people we were looking for?" Riku asked.

"Don't worry Riku. They're at the Great Maw and they're knocked out." I responded.

"If that's the case then we need to head out there and capture them before they come to. It will save us the trouble of confronting them."

"Right."

"Cloud and I will go with you just in case there is a fight." Leon said. I looked to him and nodded my appreciation before heading out the door with the other's following slowly behind.

~...~

Knowing that it would take too long to walk there, we decided to use the Gummi ship. The trip was quiet, not that I cared. I was too worried about our first meeting with the very people who can save us that I didn't pay attention to anything but flying. It wasn't long, however, until we reached our destination.

"Is that them?" Riku asked. In answer to his question I used the computer screen to zoom in on the figures lying on the ground. It was then that I knew something was wrong. I looked to Riku and the others and found the same confused expressions on their faces. Only two figures were there.

"Where is..." Leon's question was interrupted by an explosion on the side of the ship.

"What was that?!" yelled Riku.

"I don't know, we lost an engine!" was my reply.

"Can you keep us in the air?" Leon asked.

"No, but I can definitely land it." I said while I tried to regain control.

"What do we do now?" Riku asked. Not long after the question had left his mouth, Cloud wordlessly opened the door the the ship and jumped out. Riku and I stared wide-eyed after him. We then looked to Leon who simply shrugged before jumping out after him. Riku and I looked at each other, our faces of shock became determination and we jumped out of the ship without a word as it crashed to the ground. As we neared the ground I used an aero spell to slow our decent allowing us to land safely. When I looked at the wreckage the only one thought ran through my head. _There goes our ride home._ I sighed before looking to Riku. Once I confirmed he was alright I looked around for cloud and Leon, only to find them examining the unconscious body of one of the figures.

It looked like a girl no older than I am. She had long, black hair and fair skin. I could tell she had an adult figure by the way the armor hugged her body. I looked to the other figure to find that he had black, short hair and dark skin. He looked to be no older than 13 but I remember him from Yen Sid's video. _He's the one who could control powerful flames._ Both figures were at least a good ten feet away from us, but before we could get a closer look an explosion forced us to jump back 30ft.

We all summoned our weapons and waited for the dust in the air to clear so we could see who we were fighting. It wasn't long before we could see a figure with glowing blue eyes appear in the cloud. Before any of us could register what was happening the figure said one word.

"Leave." I could tell by his voice that it was a young boy no older than 13. At first I was confused and when I looked to the others they carried the same expressions I did. I looked to the boy and said the only thing I could.

"What?" Instead of responding the boy vanished. Seconds later I heard and explosion behind me and Leon was shouting Cloud's name. I turned to where I last saw Cloud only to find the boy in his place with a dark look on his face. Before I could register what happened Leon made a downward swipe for the boy only for him to catch the blade and snap it like it was nothing. He then took advantage of Leon's shock and kicked him, sending him into a rock and causing another explosion. The boy then turned to me and what I saw sent me further into a state of shock. He had silver hair and glowing blue eyes that were stained with tears. Before I knew it he was at arms length and my breath caught in my throat.

"Sora!" Riku was before me in an instant, blocking the blow with his keyblade. The sound of metal against metal was enough for me to snap out of it and jump back as Riku was overpowered. He jumped back in time to avoid a swing and returned to my side. The boy looked to us and we readied ourselves for another attack but it never came. In the blink of an eye he looked to his right and summoned a golden keyblade before bringing it up just in time to block a strike from Cloud's Fusion Buster sword.

"A keyblade?!" he said as the boy forced him back. Riku and I took this chance to strike at the boy. We both ran forward and brandished our keyblades before performing rapid swipes, only for him to easily evade all of our attacks. No matter how fast we swiped he would simply dodge our every move. Finally, we grew frustrated and we jumped back before launching Firaga spells at him. He didn't bother to move as the spells closed in on him and the impact caused a huge explosion. We readied our weapons for another attack, but when it didn't come we got suspicious.

"Look out, above you." Leon suddenly called. We looked up to find the boy standing in mid-air and staring down at us emotionlessly. Before anyone could react Cloud's sword flew threw the air and hit the boy, causing him to crash to the ground with another explosion. When the dust cleared, however, the boy emerged without a scratch on him. We all looked to each other and nodded silently before turning back to him and striking all at once. The boy summoned another keyblade and used both to block Riku and I while he simultaneously dodged the blows from Cloud and Leon. He did all of this so effortlessly and flawlessly that it seemed he was toying with us. After about two hours of not landing a single hit we jumped back and examined the boy. _Not a scratch?!_ One look at the others and I could tell they were thinking the same thing. _Just, what is he?_

"We aren't getting anywhere like this. If we're going to catch him and the others we need a plan." Leon said quietly while still keeping an eye on the expressionless boy. Cloud nodded in agreement.

"If we could get him to stay still a good strike to the head with my blade should be enough to knock him out, or at least stun him long enough to capture him. Do you think you can lock blades for that long?" he asked.

"No problem." I said with a grin. Riku simply nodded with a smirk. With that he and I charged at the boy. We swung fast and hard, forcing him to use his blades to effectively block our onslaught. Once I saw an opportunity I swung to his left and used the teeth of Ultima Weapon to lock his keyblade. It wasn't long before Riku did the same with his other keyblade and as soon as we were sure the boy was immobile Cloud jumped up and swung his blade down so hard that when it came into contact with the boy's head the sword split into 7 blades, six of which went flying through the air. A few seconds went by when we saw blood begin to trickle down the boy's forehead and the middle of his face and the moment we felt his grip on his blades loosen we began to relax. Our relief was short lived when the first of the six blades hit the ground. The boy's blades vanished and a powerful force blasted us into the air.

Seconds later the boy emerged wielding Cloud's smallest blade. Cloud used his only broad sword to block the blow he knew was coming, but the force of the attack knocked the blade from his hands and sent him crashing to the ground. The boy then grabbed the sword out of the air and headed for Cloud. Before Cloud could get away the boy released the blade in his right hand and grabbed Cloud's head. He then smashed it into the ground, causing a large explosion and he made sure Cloud was still alive before walking over to his broad sword and picking it up again. Before any of us could stop him, the boy plunged the smallest sword into Cloud's stomach and into the ground beyond, pinning him there. Ignoring Cloud's cry of pain the boy then kneeled down and closed up the wound around the blade so he wouldn't bleed to death.

The boy then jumped back before Riku and I could reach him. Seeing the state Cloud was in, Leon took one of Cloud's blades before striking at the boy. The boy brandished the broad sword and vanished before reappearing behind Leon. After a few seconds Leon's eyes widened in horror as blood exploded from his side. He then collapsed to the ground unconscious. Riku and I could only stare at the boy with shock and undeniable fear. It had only been two hours since the battle began and two of the strongest people I know were defeated by a 13yr old boy. The boy looked to us and we readied our weapons for the next attack, but it never came. Instead a strong wind picked up dust around us and within seconds we were blinded. When the dust cleared we opened our eyes to find ourselves back in town. I looked around to find that all of my friends were here and in the same dangerous situation. I then looked over to the boy to find him walking over to his friends. Riku and I ran over to try and catch him but more dust picked up and when it cleared, he and his friends were gone.

I looked to Riku and sighed before thinking about our situation. It was dark, probably around ten by now. I looked to Cloud and Leon. They were both hurt pretty badly, so first thing's first. I walked over to Cloud and swung one of his arms over my shoulder before I tried to drag him back to Merlin's, Riku followed close behind while carrying Leon.

* * *

**Jake's POV**

I waited silently until the teens and their companions left before I walked from the shadows that concealed my friends and I. As curios as I was to finding out what those guys wanted with us, my first priority was to find a place for us to hide and rest. With this thought in mind, I walked over to my friends and grabbed both by the arm before taking flight. It wasn't long before I managed to find and old, abandoned house in the center of town. I flew down and opened the door before going inside. Apparently, the place wasn't as old as I made it out to be. There was a refrigerator a t.v, a microwave, an oven, a couple of bedrooms, three bathrooms, etc. The house was two stories and the top floor had the bedrooms as well as two bathrooms. The bottom floor had the kitchen, the Dining room, the T.V. room and the last bathroom. It looked like the place I was told to stay so I placed my friends on the beds in the rooms and went downstairs to think. I went into the T.V. room and sat on the couch as I thought about our situation.

**~Flashback...~**

_When the Light faded I looked around to find that we were out of the barrier. Knowing that the plan worked I looked around for my friends to find Amelia regaining her senses while Jay help her, she looked as if she has finally gotten over her shock. When she was back on her feet they looked at me and nodded, signaling that they were ok. I nodded back before looking around once more for our new companions. They were both huddled over something and when I got a closer look, it turned out to be the captive._

_"Care to tell us what's going on around here?" I asked them. At the sound of my voice they looked to me before looking at each other and nodding. Roxas then got up and walked over to us._

_"We're... not really sure ourselves. These people are a complete mystery to us as well as their intentions. All we know is what the man named Joseph told us. We're about to head out to get more answers from him. In the mean time head to this location and rest up. If all goes well, we should be able to meet you there by tomorrow." he said. He then handed me a slip of paper with coordinates on it before walking back to Vanitas. _

_"Don't let your guard down. The portal between dimensions could still be on this world, which means that others who don't belong here could still get through. You need to stop the from doing anything stupid in this world. Whatever happens, don't let the warriors of the realm of light interfere with them or your battles." Vanitas said._

_"Why not?" Jay asked._

_"If they get involved, they'll disappear. We'll explain everything later." With that they got on their bikes and took off. I looked down at Grimm and allowed myself a small smile. After all, at now we can get some moment was short lived, however, when a man suddenly appeared before the captive. I made a move to stop him, only to find him gone with Grimm. I looked at my friends to find them unconscious and hated myself for being so careless._

**~Flashback end~**

_Damn it, I can't believe I was so careless. I let my guard down and because of me we lost our only source of information. _Sighing frustratingly to myself I got up and looked to the door. _Maybe a walk can clear my head. _With that I went outside for a walk. I didn't get further than a couple of blocks, however, when I heard a scream coming from an ally way a few blocks away. I ran to the edge of the alley and looked inside to find three men cornering two young women. One of which stood defensively in front of the other with a keyblade in her hand. _She must be one of the warriors he spoke of._ One look at the men and I knew they weren't from this dimension. My theory proved to be correct when one called a ball of fire to his hand while another held a magic circle and the last held some kind of beam-like weapon. The most distinguishable feature that gave them away, however, was that they all had glowing red pupils and gave off a blue yet dark aura.

Remembering what Vanitas had said, I jumped over the men and landed between them and the women. I could feel all eyes on me in shock as I turned to face the men. A moment of silence passed before the girl broke it.

"What are you doing here? Go back home, it's not safe." I didn't answer, instead I looked up at my opponents to see them smirking at me.

"What, we got kids facing us now? Torch, burn 'em." the one with the beam like weapon said. I could here the girl start to scream at me to get out of the path of the fire ball. I ignored her and when the ball was close enough I caught it and threw it back ten times stronger. The ball sped through the air before colliding with the one that threw it, causing him to go flying through the air and smash into the building across the street. All eyes were on me and full of shock, but before anyone could react I summoned my powers and appeared behind the one with the magic circle before taking his head and smashing it into the ground, causing a small explosion. I then looked to the last one to find him staring at me with shock and fear.

"A-another contractor?!" he said as he tried to jump away.

"Contractor?" I heard the girl whisper with curiosity. I ignored both of them and appeared above the man before punching him, sending him crashing back into the ground. When I landed I used the wind to pick up the men and thew them as far away from me as I could. Looking around, only one thought went through my head._ They must have come through a portal that's still around here somewhere._ Little did I know that I voiced my thoughts out loud.

"What do you mean? What's going on here?" At the sound of her voice I turned to her with shock. I had completely forgotten they were there. The young keybearer took a cautious step forward as she asked her next question, her face full of fear and confusion.

"Who are you?" Unable to answer her I looked to the floor.

I sensed it before I saw it. In a flash I summoned an invisible barrier to protect them from the attack I knew was coming. The next second the ground exploded and I let out a cry of surprise as I felt a powerful punch to the gut that sent me crashing to the floor, causing a small explosion. I felt the wound I gained from my previous battle open up, causing blood to run down my face in a continuous stream. I could hear a cry of worry leave the key-bearer's lips as the blood flowed. Dazed, my loss of focus caused the barrier to fall for just a moment, but it was enough for the keybearer to escape and offer her assistance. She stood in front of me and brandished her keyblade for the fight with her face filled with determination, but I knew she wasn't strong enough to face them.

When the next attack came I knew I wouldn't be able to put up a barrier in time so I did the next best thing, I jumped in front of her and used my own body as a shield. The impact caused a small explosion that had me call out in a cry of burning pain. I can feel the keybearer's eyes on me in shock as she whispered the very thing I asked myself.

"Why?" as a response I looked to my opponents and as the biggest buff guy I had ever seen walked over to me and raised his hand for a powerful strike I responded.

"Don't interfere." As I said those words I brought both my arms up in a cross above my head to block the blow before using my wind to force her back into the barrier. Once she was safe I knocked the fist away and jumped to the man's face before punching him, sending him flying into the wall across the street. Two more came out of the shadows and when one swung at me I grabbed his fist before kicking him into the other one sending them both into the same wall. There were four others with glowing eyes and another who was just watching from the shadows. I used my wind to give me a boost before speeding to the four men. After landing blows on all of them I looked around for the last one only to see him appear behind me. As I turned around he sent me flying with a powerful punch. He then appeared above me and sent me to the ground, causing a small explosion. Before I could get back up he appeared standing over me and lifted his fist before smashing it down on my face, causing a big explosion and a small crater. I could hear the cry of worry coming from the keybearer as I was hit continuously again and again. Each punch was stronger than the last and sent rippling pain throughout my body and I could only scream in agony as the onslaught continued.

"Stop it!" the keybearer screamed. At the sound of her voice he stopped in his last punch to look at her. The distraction gave me the chance I needed to blast him off using Telekinesis. I then followed after him and delivered a series of powerful blows before blasting him out of the city. I then used the wind to send the others with him before landing in the alley with the two women. Tk was an ability I learned while we were training but I had very little control over it. As a result, it takes up most of my energy to focus it to a certain point. The battle had worn me out, so much so that I had to let down the barrier to gain the strength I'd need to return to the hideout. Unfortunately, I was only able to take a few steps before I collapsed on the ground.

As I lied on my side to rest I suddenly felt warmth spread throughout my body. When I looked at my hand I noticed that a green light had engulfed it and I soon felt my energy being restored. When I had enough strength back I sat up and looked to the one who healed me only to find the woman from before staring back. She had green eyes and long, brown hair. She was wearing a pink dress that reached her ankles and white sandals. She looked to be in her early twenties. She smiled brightly and I gave a small smile in return before I stood up.

"Hello, I'm Aerith." she said.

"Thank you Aerith." was my only response as I turned to walk away.

"Wait." I stopped and turned around to look at the girl who looked to be no older than 15.

"Thank you for saving us." she said. I simply nodded in response. With that I turned to walk away once more.

"Who are you?" she asked. I stopped and glanced behind me before responding.

"I...I don't really know." With that I summoned wind to blow up dust and cover my escape. Within seconds I was back at the meeting place.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed.**


	15. Chapter 14

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 14: Boom**

**Kairi's POV**

I stood there and silently observed the boy as he rested. Aerith was standing over him and cast a curaga spell as he sat there and stared at his hand. The boy was a complete mystery to me. When he first showed up he looked like a helpless little kid with a determined look on his face, now I find myself wondering if he's even human. When I saw that fireball headed towards him I tried to defend him only to watch as he threw it back with little to no effort. When one was taken down and the other two were distracted I could only watch in fascination and terror as he majestically took down the second one.

When I heard the last one call him a contractor I couldn't help but wonder what the word meant and if that was what those men with power were called. I had ever heard of the term or of people with powers like them. The more I thought about it the more confused I became so I decided to just watch the boy. When the last of his opponents were defeated he looked around at the unconscious bodies of the 'contractors' and spoke silently to himself as if we weren't here.

"They must have come through a portal that's still around here somewhere." He said said as if he was deep in thought. Deciding that it would be a good time to get some answers, I gathered up some courage and brandished my keyblade before slowly making my way to the boy. I didn't sense any hostile intent, but after seeing his powers I knew he didn't belong here. When He didn't turn around I asked the first two questions that I could think of.

"What do you mean? What's going on here?" At the sound of my voice he turned around with a shocked expression on his face, as if he had forgotten we were here. His expression turned to a fearful one and he turned his eyes to the floor, as if he had done something wrong. At that moment, he looked like the fearful little child I made him out to be at first glance. Seeing this had made me ask another question that continued to haunt me.

"Who are you?" I was tempted to make an offer for him to come with us when his eyes suddenly became hard and his face became calm. A second later he flicked his wrist and a barrier sprang to life around Aerith and I just as the boy was sent flying by an explosion. I could only watch in horror as he cried out before he was sent crashing back to the ground. When the smoke cleared I could barely hold in my tears as I saw his body climb to it's feet with blood dripping down his face. A hole in the barrier opened and I took that moment to escape. I couldn't let anyone else get hurt for my sake. First Sora, then Riku. _I'm not going to let this kid get hurt too_. With that thought in mind I stood in front of the boy and brandished my keyblade.

When the next attack came I got ready to block it. I knew that their power was well beyond my own, but I couldn't let him get hurt anymore. As the attack got close I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact, but it never came. When I opened my eyes again they widened in shock. The boy stood before me with his arms spread apart like a human shield. As I stood there baffled, the largest man I had ever seen had made his way over to us and when he raised his hand for a powerful blow I found myself asking the only question that came to mind.

"Why?" The boy raised his arms to stop the blow dead before responding, his eyes full of determination.

"Don't interfere." His voice was dark but I caught something else too. Worry maybe?

As he said those words he forced the fist back with amazing strength before sending the man through a wall. The boy then defeated the other newcomers as a bast of wind carried me gently back to the protection of the barrier. When he was done he fought with the leader only to be defeated. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I felt so helpless watching the boy cry out in agonizing pain as he took blow after blow. Finally unable to take it anymore I screamed for the man to stop beating the poor child. The man stopped in his last punch to look at me and the distraction was enough for the boy to blast him off and follow up with a series of powerful blows.

Once the leader was defeated the wind seemed to pick them all up before throwing them out of the city and the barrier dropped. When the boy tried to walk away he collapsed from exhaustion. That's where we are now. I can't help but think of the incredible power the boy had and even as he lays there, helpless and tired, I can't help but think of the potential the boy has.

When Aerith finished doing what she could for his wounds the boy sat up and turned to us. He seemed to be observing us and checking for injuries before giving a small smile to Aerith. He then stood up and brushed himself off before looking back at us.

"Hello, my name is Aerith." she introduced herself.

"Thank you Aerith." the boy said in a kind voice. He then turned to leave and after taking a few steps forward I couldn't help but want to thank him.

"Wait." I said. He stopped and turned to look at me and I found myself wanting to learn more about him and what had happened.

"Thank you for saving us." I said. He simply nodded in response and turned to leave again.

"Who are you?" I asked for the second time since I've seen this mysterious boy. He stopped once again and merely glanced back before responding.

"I...I don't really know." Before I could ask him what he meant a gust of wind blew up some dust and when it cleared the boy was gone. I sighed and turned to Aerith.

"We need to tell the others what happened." She simply nodded with a small smile. I smiled in return before tuning around and leaving the alley to go back to Merlin's. As we walked my mind drifted back to the mysterious boy and the battle from before. I balled my fists as I thought about how useless I was to the boy. Nothing made sense anymore. _The next time we meet, I'll get some_ _answers._ That was my only thought on the way to Merlin's. When we got back to the house, however, we were met with a gruesome sight. I could hear Aerith gasp behind me as we watched Tifa remove one of Cloud's blades from his own abdomen. Leon was on the couch and wrapped in bandages that had already been soaked in blood. At the sight of them I grew worried and looked for the two people I cared about most. Relief flooded me When I saw them leaning an a wall not to far off. Before I could stop myself I was already in Sora's embrace as I sobbed onto his shoulder. He held me tightly and stroked my hair as Riku silently watched.

"It's ok, I'm fine." he said softly.

"I know." was my only response. I could see Riku smirking in the background, but I didn't care. When I calmed down, Sora released me and I saw that Riku was staring at the ground, deep in thought. When I looked to Sora,

"What happened? Did you find them?" I finally asked. The tensed and looked at each other for a brief moment before Sora turned to look at me.

"Yeah. Their young kids, no older than 13." he said. His form was tense and I could tell he was hesitating.

"What happened?" I repeated. Once the question left my lips, everyone save for Aerith, Tifa, Cloud and Leon had their eyes on us. Sora seemed unwilling to answer so Riku responded.

"One of them attacked us." all eyes widened when we heard the news.

"What?" I asked.

"We were still in the Gummi ship when something destroid one of our engines. We jumped out as the ship crashed and we found a couple that were unconscious. Before we could get a closer look though, the last one knocked us back with wind magic and told us to leave. When he saw that we didn't he fought with us and took us back here before taking his friends and disappearing." he explained. Silence spread throughout the house as we processed the information. After a few moments of tension it was Tifa who broke it.

"What did the boy look like?" she asked. She and Aerith had long since bandaged up Cloud and Leon.

"He was fast so I didn't really get a good look, but I know he had silver hair and glowing blue eyes." Sora said. I couldn't help but gasp a little when he gave us a description of the boy. It was the same boy that had helped Aerith and I. When I looked over at Aerith I saw the same expression I held. I decided not to say anything on the matter, however, and as I listened to the conversation I couldn't help but remember the determination and fear I had seen in the boy's eyes.

"There's no where they can go right now, which means they're still hiding in the city somewhere. Once everyone has rested, we should should split up and search for him." Tifa said calmly. everyone agreed and headed off to sleep.

* * *

**Jake's POV**

When I got inside I went into the living room and was met by three people. Two of them were Vanitas and Roxas while the last one is completely new to me. As I looked to my left I found Jay and Amelia sitting on the couch across from them. All eyes fell on me as I entered the room. My eyes found the floor and the room became so silent that I could hear my heart pounding against my rib-cage. There was a shuffle from my lest followed the slow, deliberate sound of shoes hitting the wooden floor. The sound became louder as the figure came closer. Finally a pair of purple sneakers stop in front of me.I knew what was coming next. Seconds later found me holding my left cheek as it pulsed with searing pain. I deserved it. I made her worry, even after all that's happened. Seeing what we saw today scared the hell out of her. Waking up to find herself in a strange room must have startled her, but once she found me missing she must have went over the edge.

There was another shuffle and I looked up to find Amelia's face stained with tears as Jay made his way over to us. He put a hand on her shoulder as a form of comfort before turning to me with a look that demanded an explanation. I hesitated and looked around the room before turning to them and answering his unasked question.

"They managed to take Grimm away from me. Shortly afterwards a gummi-ship appeared holding warriors of light who came to investigate. One of which was a Soldier. I fought them and brought you here before leaving to clear my head. On my walk I managed to run into some people who called themselves contractors. I fought them and returned here." I explained. I then turned to look to the new man in the room. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. His raven colored hair swayed slightly as he shifted his head to look at the ground. He had red eyes and a mark of a purple lightning bolt on his face. He was wearing a light jacket with Black pants and boots. Black gloves his his hands and he seemed to be deep in thought.

"Are you Joseph?" I asked. the man gave a small nod but said nothing.

"What do you want?" Joseph simply glanced my direction before responding.

"To stop the Destroyers." he stated simply. "For that to happen I needed to warriors who would fight without taking sides. Warriors strong enough to defy both the light and the darkness."

"And that's where we come in?"

"Don't they have someone you care about?"The room became silent as I was unable to respond. Roxas was the one who broke it.

"We're all tired from today. Let's get some rest and talk more in the morning." No one argued and soon we found ourselves sleeping soundly.

* * *

**Third Person POV**

All was quiet along the streets of Radiant Garden. Lamps lit up the empty streets as very few people were out at this hour. After the incident with the monster attack the people have been afraid to leave their homes. Though the streets were empty, however, the city was live with activity. In the dark of night, A shift in energy occurred and the creatures of the shadows make their move. Hidden in a dark alleyway at the far end of the city, a rift occurs and a portal opens. Across from it stood a gang of rouge contractors that used the place as their temporary hideout. They stared at the portal for a few minutes, but before they could get a closer look an explosion emerged from it, killing them. From the smoke emerged two figures, both seemed exhausted yet determined to keep running. Behind them, four more figures emerged as the portal closed.

"Go Chase, keep running!" the first of the two said. The boy chase did as he was told as the first figure turned around to throw a grenade. After he saw it hit he turned around and caught up to Chase. Before they could keep moving, however, he felt excruciating pain coming from his abdomen. He looked to Chase to see his eyes widening in horror and he knew before he saw it. Looking down he saw a 5ft blade protruding from his chest. He couldn't really say he was surprised, he was lucky he even got this far. It didn't matter though, as long as Chase lived he didn't care. Because as it stands, that boy is the only one who can save their world.

"Johnny!" He looked up at Chase and smiled sadly.

"Looks like I won't be joining you this time man. Your on your own from now on." He spat up blood and chuckled slightly to himself, for he knew that he didn't have much time left.

"No! We're not done yet, we can still find them!" Pleaded Case as he tried to pick up the older boy. Johnny smiled softly, but he knew that _they_ were getting closer. He slowly lifted his hand and forced Chase away. Chase looked to the other in shock.

"Go! I'll cover your escape." At this he summoned two AK-47s and aimed them down the alley where he knew _they _would come from.

"No, I'm not leaving you."

"Go!" Johnny said more forcefully."If they catch you than this would have all been for nothing. All of those who have sacrificed their lives so far would mean shit!" Chase's eyes widened with shock.

"Do you really want their deaths to be in vain?" Johnny finished softly. Chase looked at his friend sadly, tears threatened to escaped from his eyes as he turned around. Before he left he asked his last question.

"Say 'hi' to the others for me?" Johnny gave a slight smile before responding.

"You bet, though they're probably gonna be pissed at me." Chase couldn't help but laugh a little at that. His laughter soon ceased and his smiled vanished, however, as he spoke to his friend for one last time.

"Give 'em hell." was all he said before he took off down the street and out of sight. As the sound of his footsteps vanished, three of the four figures emerged from the smoke. Johnny saw this and unleashed a rain of bullets. He saw that they had no effect and as the last few bullets left his guns he prepared a C4 explosive. The figures were standing over him as the last walked over and stabbed him before lifting him into the air.

"Where is he?" the creature asked in a demonic voice. Johnny used the last of his strength to lift his arm, showing them the detonator. When he was satisfied with their looks of shock and horror he gave them one final smirk before responding.

"Fuck..you." with that he pressed the button and there was a flash before everything went dark.

**...**

He was about twenty blocks away, still running with tears streaming down his face. Suddenly the ground shook beneath his feet and he had to stop to regain his balance as an explosion sounded a little ways from here. He didn't need to turn around to see where it was, he already knew. His friend always did want to go out with a bang. Thinking of him brought a small pang to his chest, but he knew he had to keep moving. After a moment of hesitation, he continued running.

* * *

**Sora's POV**

I managed to get about 7hrs of sleep before the sound of a nearby explosion brought me back from dream land. Without a second thought I jumped from the bed and ran out of one of the many rooms in Merlin's house to find Riku and Kairi waiting in the hall. I nodded to them and we all ran down the corridor until we reached the door and the end of the hall. Stepping through we found ourselves in Ansem's lab with Sid already at the computer. Upon seeing us he filled us in.

"There's been an explosion a few blocks from 'ere. Tifa took Aerith and Merlin with her to heal anyone hurt from the blast. Go down there and see if they need any help." We nodded and headed out the door.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. Sorry it took so long, I've been having writers block lately.**


	16. Chapter 15

******Hey guys, thanks for reading this far and I hope you enjoy. There a few songs that go great with this chapter so...yeah.**

******disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 15: The Search**

**Sora's POV**

**...**

_I managed to get about 7hrs of sleep before the sound of a nearby explosion brought me back from dream land. Without a second thought I jumped from the bed and ran out of one of the many rooms in Merlin's house to find Riku and Kairi waiting in the hall. I nodded to them and we all ran down the corridor until we reached the door and the end of the hall. Stepping through we found ourselves in Ansem's lab with Sid already at the computer. Upon seeing us he filled us in._

_"There's been an explosion a few blocks from 'ere. Tifa took Aerith and Merlin with her to heal anyone hurt from the blast. Go down there and see if they need any help." We nodded and headed out the door._

**...**

The sky outside was painted a symphony of brilliant colors. The dark clouds of smoke were lit with different hues of yellow, orange and red. It would have been beautiful under different circumstances, but to us it looked as if the sky itself was burning. We could see the fire blaze from here. The intense flames reach out to the sky, only to be pulled back and try again. Even from where we stand we could feel the intense warmth the flame gives off. I look to my friends and we nod our heads before we head off toward the flame. The streets are alive with people. They seem to be heading in every direction, whether to get away from the fire or to check on their loved ones. Seconds later the streets are pact with people and we find ourselves forcing our way through the crowd to reach the others.

We find them along with a few others in the light of the raging inferno. We break through the crowd to the opening that was provided as the crowd kept a block away from those at work. When we get close enough, we saw Merlin casting water spells as Axel tries desperately to control the flame. Aerith seems to be trying to help the wounded while Tifa and a few others keep the crowd back. I turn around and face Kairi.

"Go see if you can help Aerith with the wounded." She nodded with her face full of determination before heading off in Aerith's direction. I look to Riku next.

"Let's help Merlin put this fire out." He nodded in confirmation before we hurried over to Merlin's side and began to cast water spells as well. Between all of us, the fire begins to diminish little by little. Before we can finish putting out half of the fire, however, I sense it. Riku must have sensed it as well, because within moments we summon our keyblades. That's when we hear it.

"Where is he?" The voice sounded hoarse and deadly. We brandished our blades and searched for the sound of the voice when I noticed something off about the smoke. That's when I realized that it wasn't smoke, and as the thought entered my head, the flames roared to life as a creature engulfed in flames appeared. The creature looked like it could be chernabog, but I know it isn't. This thing, this demon had a more menacing look to it. Though it was engulfed in flame, I could still make out it's features. It's face was like that of a dragon and it had six horns protruding from the top of it's head. It's hands were claws with blade for nails. It stood on it's hind legs and released a roar that shook the ground beneath our feet. The thing was massive, probably bigger than Chernabog, and darkness continually leaked from it's body in the form of smoke.

At the sight of it the people broke into a frenzy trying to get away from the creature. Some were even trampled and left there to rot while others got away. It was utter chaos when the creature spoke once more.

"Where are you insect?" it roared. "I know you're here. Come to me, or I will burn this world to ash until I find you." With that the creature charged up a giant fire ball in it's mouth before releasing it sending it flying to the edge of the city before it exploded, sending the edge ablaze. Seeing this I turned to Merlin.

"Take Aerith and get out of here." The man nodded before walking over to Aerith and vanishing with her. Riku then made his over to me before we ran over to Kairi and brandished our blades.

"I don't suppose you have a plan?" she asked. I simply gave her a weak smile before facing the massive creature. We all got into our battle stances, but Tifa was the first to attack. She jumped up to the monster's torso and punched it so hard it caused a shock wave that nearly knocked us off our feet. She punched again and followed up with a quick kick, dealing significant damage. What happened next was so fast it was almost comical. The creature noticed the damage and healed rapidly before swatting her away as if swatting a fly. It's movements were so fast and swift that we may have missed it if we blinked. The strike was so powerful that we couldn't even see Tifa as she crashed to the ground, making a large crater.

"You dare challenge me?" the beast roared. "I accept your challenge." We all jumped back, barely dodging it's claw. Riku and I ran forward as Kairi casts the only effective spells we have, water spells. Riku and I split up and flank the beast on both sides as we dodge another claw. The monster launches a fire ball at Kairi out of annoyance, only for it to be absorbed by Axel's Chakrams as he enters the fray. The beast throws a punch down on Riku, but he dodges to the side and jumps on the arm before running vertically up it's length. The monster sees this and allows him to get a couple of hits in with his blade before throwing him off. Seeing this, only one thought runs through my mind. _Damn it, he's toying with us._

As the thought crossed my mind, Tifa jumped from the ruble of the crater she made and landed another punch on the creature. It made to swat her away again, but she was ready for it. She used the torso to kick off and land on a nearby building, effectively avoiding the swipe. She then jumped off the building and struck again, using the same process. After the first five times the beast got annoyed and when she stuck again it used it's tail it kept hidden to smash her into the ground. It then punched the crater to make sure she wouldn't rise again. We called out to her, but we got no response.

Because of my distraction, I barely had enough time to dodge another swipe. The beast then punched down at me. I avoided the blow and attempted to follow Riku's example. I was halfway up the arm when the monster threw me high into the air. This time it launched a fire ball at me as I fell. I could feel the intense heat as the fire grew closer and at the same time, memories that weren't my own flooded my being. I saw my nobody in a similar situation and copied his movements. Gripping my keyblade I used my legs for the momentum to flip in the air before I threw the keyblade at the fire ball. The explosion sent me flying back where I landed on a nearby building. I got up and summoned Ultima Weapon back to my hand before looking down at the others. Riku was still trying to deal damage while Axel protected Kairi.

I jumped from the rooftop and launched water spells at the monster before attacking it with my keyblade once again, getting frustrated at the fact that we weren't doing any damage. When it swiped at me I jumped away and looked up just at it had formed another fireball in it's mouth. Out of sheer frustration I threw my keyblade at it, causing it to explode and stun the creature. Using the opportunity I activated Wisdom form and we unleashed everything we had on the monster. When all of our energy left us My wisdom form was released and we found ourselves panting as we waited to see if it was over. It wasn't. The dust that got picked up from our earlier attacks was blown away as the monster revealed himself to be unharmed.** (A/N Que Blassreiter DD song)**

"Hm...Is that all the is to the power of the warriors of light? Pathetic." It said disappointingly. I wanted to respond to prove that we still had some fight left, but I was simply too weak to move. All I could do was glare at the creature before me, and that's when it happened. The being had just begun to laugh maniacally when it stopped dead in it's movements. It's eyes opened wide with horror and it seemed to be frozen. At first I couldn't understand what was happening, but then a gaping hole appeared in the monsters shoulder as it screamed in agony. I stood there frozen, wondering what had just happened when the monsters speaks in a frightened tone.

"Damn you! How are you still alive?!" In the silence that followed I could just make out the low hum of a motorcycle. It was faint and silent but it seemed to be getting closer. The being realized this and began to panic.

"STAY BACK!" It screamed as it launched fireballs at a nearby street. The flame exploded on what seemed to be an invisible barrier and the sound continued to grow more and more distinct.

"Something like you should have never been created. Your a monster with the wrath of god at your finger tips, and all you do is hunt down your own kind." The sound grew louder as the bike grew closer.

"I'll kill you. Do you hear me Joseph?!" At the last statement we all looked to the street to find an ordinary bike being ridden by the very man who frightens the beast. He was wearing a helmet that hid his face and a trench coat that hid half of his neck and stopped at his knees. He wore black pants and black shoes and a blue battle suit underneath. As the monster laid eyes on him it screamed out one word.** (A/N End Blassreiter DD)**

"DIE!" Thousands of fireballs the size of rocks launched form it's back and homed in on Joseph, who simply put up a shield to defend himself. As he neared the creature it jumped high into the air in an attempt to avoid him. **(A/N Que Unripe hero)** Joseph simply glanced at the creature before looking at the surrounding buildings. He then revved up the bike and did a full wheelie before driving vertically and the closest building to him. Once the bike got half way up the building it transformed into a glider that took to the skys. As he got closer the monster launched countless homing fireballs at him. Seeing this, Joseph raised his hand where a symbol was glowing. From it, protruded a laser whip which he used to effectively cut down the projectiles as he grew closer to his victim. We could only watch in awe as he flew threw the air like a living, shooting star. Colors of dark blue and red trailed behind him as he darted this way and that, cutting down fireballs as he went. He was well above his target now, and as he destroyed the last fireball he darted downwards, intending to finish the fight.

Before he could get close enough to end it, however, two fireballs that were as bright as small suns flanked him on both sides, the impact causing bright, powerful explosions. The deadly light that trapped Joseph was like a small sun that shined brightly in the sky and lit the world below. Suddenly, the world known as Radiant Garden was trapped in another dimension altogether as the beast uttered a spell I had never heard of before.

"Genocide." As the word left it's lips countless suns not unlike the ones from before lit up the skys and sped to meet the one in the center. The light in the center pulsed with energy as it was constantly rejuvenated by the energy of the suns. As the attack finished a small but powerful supernova occurred and the creature screamed to the heavens so sure of his victory.

"YES! I have defeated the the monster with the power of God! I have defeated the Blassreiter!" With that the creature laughed maniacally as it celebrated it's win, only for it's laughter to be cut short when it's arm had suddenly been severed from the rest of it.** (A/N End Unripe Hero)**

"What the...?" was all it could say before Joseph's glider emerged from the smoke and slammed into the creatures chest with dark colors trailing behind it, causing them to crash into the ground. **(A/N Que Blassreiter Overpower)**The glider then reverted back to the bike and sped off into the distance as Joseph emerged falling from the smoke unharmed. When he landed he looked to the giant creature with an expressionless face. With a cry of agony and rage, the creature used his only remaining arm to summon a massive blade engulfed in flame. Joseph seemed unconcerned with this as he walked toward the wounded creature, and as it swung downwards with a blow so strong that I was afraid it would tear the world in half, he simply caught it with his hand, stopping it dead. With the flick of his wrist, he shattered the massive blade and continued to make his way towards the creature. All the while, he never removed his eyes from it.

"Soulless creature born from a substance darker than black..." Joseph summoned his blade as he neared the creature and it started to scream in fear, begging for it's life.

"...with the strength of my heart, the power to destroy the darkness, and God as my witness..." As one last act of defiance the creature charged Joseph, a cry of rage emanating from it's maw.

"...I will end your life." With that the creature leaped at him and he simply swung his blade. He continued to walk forward and he closed his eyes as the creature crashed to the ground, it's own flames were eating at it's disintegrating corps. Leon and the others had arrived just as Joseph dealt the finishing blow. No one moved save for the executioner himself as he slowly walked to his waiting bike. None of us could believe what we had just witnessed. Their power was no match for that creature, yet he defeated it in a matter of seconds. At that moment, I was wondering of they were from this universe at all. Joseph got on his bike and waited for his helmet to hide his face before he drove up to me in my frozen state. He stared down at me before speaking.

"The weapon you wield has power well beyond my own. Do you have what it takes to wield it?" As his words registered he revved up his bike and sped off into the night. Only one question ran through my head. _What the hell is he? _**(A/N End Overpower)**

**...**

Aerith was the first to get moving again and soon we were all healed up. We found Tifa under the pile of rubble and decided to let her rest after her wounds have healed. Now Cloud, Yuffie and Leon control the crowds as Merlin, Riku, Kairi, Aerith, Axel and I got the fires under control. It was well into the morning by the time we had put them out and everyone was exhausted. As we went back to Merlin's, though, I could tell everyone had questions on their minds. I couldn't blame them, after what happened hours before I couldn't stop thinking about that power and what else may lie out there. Looking at the sky now, I can't help but wonder if we really know anything about our universe at all.

My friends and I were the last ones to head back to Merlin's. We were just entering the plaza when Kairi spotted him and pointed him out. He was a young boy who looked to be my age. He was wearing a grey hoodie and a white undershirt that peaked out from his collar. He had navy blue faded jeans and black sneakers as well as a couple of black, fingerless gloves that covered his hands. There appeared to be burns and scratches all over his face and more on his forearms. I didn't really get why Kairi pointed him out at first, but then I saw it. His body was wrapped in a nearly invisible green light that rapidly repaired his wounds as he slept. In the mere seconds that past, all of his injuries have healed and his aura changed from green to a light blue that even the shadows avoided.

"You think we should take him with us? He's definitely not from here." It was Riku who had spoken. I looked to him and nodded before looking back to the boy. Riku walked over and reached down to pick him up, only for his hand to get shocked by and invisible force field After getting over our shock he stepped back to examine his hand. There was no injury.

"His aura is protecting him." He stated.

"Let me try." I said. He nodded and I made my way over to the boy. As I reached over to pick him up, the aura forced me back. As I regained my balance Kairi walked over and picked him up with an aero spell. At this I mentally smacked myself for being so stupid while Riku just nodded his head in approval. With that, we headed to Merlin's with the boy in hand.

* * *

**Jay's POV**

I woke up at the break of dawn. A habit I developed while I was ten. It became very useful when I had to make a quick get-away from Shinra. Now though, It seems like a useless habit. With that thought in mind got out of bed and looked myself over. That's when I realized that I've been shirtless ever since we left Radiant Garden. With that in mind I closed my eyes and summoned the powers of darkness for my change in attire When I was done, I opened my eyes and looked myself over. I was wearing a black hoodie with a white polo underneath and navy blue faded, baggie jeans. I also had black fingerless gloves that hid my hands and black Jordans. Satisfied, I looked over to Jake who was laying in a bed across the room. His clothes had also changed. He was wearing a dark grey, zip-up hoodie and a white t-shirt underneath. He had black pants with dark blue outlining and black and blue Nike's. His gloves had become soft and fingerless but they still hid most of his hands.

Without waking him, I snuck out of the room and quietly went downstairs to avoid waking Amelia who was sleeping in a room across from ours. I went to the living room to find Vanitas ans Roxas sitting on the couch as Joseph stood a few feet away. All of them seemed to be deep in thought and it wasn't until I sat down on a chair in the corner that I was noticed. Joseph was the first to break the silence of the room.

"We have a problem. Last night, the city was attacked by a creature from one of the worlds in the realm of darkness. I defeated him alone, but it seemed to have knowledge about me. I'll tell you more when your friends wake up." I nodded silently, but it wasn't long before Amelia and Jake came down for breakfast. Once we had eaten we all took a seat in the living room and let Joseph explain.

"Late last night, this world was attacked by a massive creature of the Darklands."

"Darklands?" Jake asked.

"The Darklands are worlds that belong in the realm of darkness. However, the situation over there is the exact opposite of the situation over here. Where warriors of Darkness try to destroy the worlds in the realm of light because they are possessed by darkness, the roles are reversed in which people who are consumed by light try to destroy the worlds in the realm of darkness. As such, there are also heroes who stand up and fight against the light to protect their home, but this is where the two realms differ. As you know, those who are defeated in the realm of light are sent to the realm of darkness. As such they can be brought back again and again. In the Darklands, however, once you die there is no coming back. Those heroes who sacrifice themselves never return, lost in the void of nothingness or simply cease to exist."

"I see." The room became silent before Joseph continued.

"The creature I fought seemed to know of my existence but thought I was dead. Seeing as how I never saw anything like it from my home world, I can only assume that it got it's information from someone who originated from the same world. The only person I know of is part of the organization Who call themselves the destroyers."

"So it was one of their lackies?" Amelia asked.

"It would seem so. What disturbs me, however, is the fact that it came here looking for someone. It was a strong being, the fact that it was searching for someone means that the person must be a threat. In other words..."

"That person could be one of us?!" Jake exclaimed. Joseph simply nodded.

"There's also the possibility that it's just some guy who got some information on them, information they don't want getting out." Roxas stated thoughtfully.

"Either way, if this person is that important...we need to find them before they have someone find them before us." Vanitas stated.

"That's why I thought it would be best if we start searching now. Four of us will head out into the city while the remaining two stay here." Joseph said.

"I'll go, I want to see if it's one of us." Jake stated.

"So will I, That way Amelia can't worry about you." I stated with a smirk. Jake gave me a slight glare before it broke and became a smirk.

"I'll stay and watch the fort." Roxas stated.

"I'll go, I've got nothing better to do." Vanitas stated with a yawn.

"I'll stay and help Roxas." Amelia stated with a small smile.

"Alright, let's go." With that Joseph led us out into the city. motto

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoy. Sorry it took so long. **


	17. Chapter 16

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 16: The Search Part Two**

**Sora's POV**

**...**

_"You think we should take him with us? He's definitely not from here." It was Riku who had spoken. I looked to him and nodded before looking back to the boy. Riku walked over and reached down to pick him up, only for his hand to get shocked by and invisible force field. After getting over our shock he stepped back to examine his hand. There was no injury._

_"His aura is protecting him." He stated._

_"Let me try." I said. He nodded and I made my way over to the boy. As I reached over to pick him up, the aura forced me back. As I regained my balance Kairi walked over and picked him up with an aero spell. At this I mentally smacked myself for being so stupid while Riku just nodded his head in approval. With that, we headed to Merlin's with the boy in hand._

**...**

The air was warm and humid as we crossed the last street to Merlin's place. As we entered we were met with expressions of joy that soon turned to confusion as they noticed the boy. Kairi used her wind magic to gently place the boy on the couch as Riku went in to explaining.

"We found him over by the plaza. He was in a pretty bad shape, but he was healed by this aura that surrounds him. Then the color of the aura changed and we haven't been able to touch him since. The aura acts as some kind of strong barrier. Anyway, we brought here because we think he might know something on what's going on."

During the explanation no one seemed to notice the sudden boost in the strength of the boy's aura. It wasn't until a strange light filled the room that we turned to face him. The light radiated from his aura as he began to rise into the air. Suddenly a bright light came from his hands and form words before us and the moment we read them his form changed.

"Awaken: The black qwasar." As the words left our lips the boy's aura enveloped him in a blinding light. When the light had faded, the boy stood before us with his eyes closed and his and his attire changed. He now dawn a black trench coat that started at his neck and stretched to his ankles. He wore black pants and a black shirt with black, finger less gloves and black combat boots. He also carried a strap that held a massive broad sword with enough power to put Clouds blade to shame. In a flash, the blade produced another handle and he reached for it with both hands before removing it from it's sheath and separating it into a blade and a tri-pistol. The blade was pointed at me while the gun held Tifa at point blank. The teen's eyes were still closed, but the moment Riku moved to summon his keyblade the broad sword extended and threatened to pierce his neck, confirming my suspicion that he could sense movement.

Minutes of tense silence passed by until the boy suddenly turned his head to the corridor behind him. Before anyone could react, The broadsword shortened and he dropped the pistol as he brought the blade up to block an attack by Cloud. A second later, the boy was holding a 4ft, ebony sword at Cloud's neck as half of Cloud's blade sunk into the floor a few feet away. Cloud stood there in shock and as the boy made to end his life another blade blocked the blow and all hell broke loose. The boy blocked all of Leon's blows with ease and he blasted Riku and I away with TK as we tried to hit him from behind. Using the temporary distraction Leon struck at the boy only for his blade to melt in the boy's hand as he caught the blade. The metal from Leon's blade swirled around the boy's hand until it formed a gun that had Leon at point blank. Before he could pull the trigger, however, he backed away to dodge the quick strikes of Tifa and Yuffie. They struck continuously slowly getting frustrated at the fact that the weren't landing any effective hits.

Riku and I made to strike him again but he managed to block us with his blade. Using the distraction, Tifa made for an effective blow and we were all expecting a direct hit from the look on the boy's face, but he then vanished and reappeared behind her and blasted her with TK, sending her on a collision course with Yuffie. Yuffie tried to get out of the way but the boy appeared next to her and held her until they both went crashing into the wall. Cid summoned his spear and prepared to help but the boy appeared behind him and effectively hit his ocular nerve, knocking him out cold. The boy then turned to face me but before he could make another move a small voice called out to him, much to our surprise.

"Chase! Chase, wake up!" The boy halted in his movements and stood up straight before responding. It looked as if he was struggling to open his eyes.

"Quira?" As soon as the name left his mouth his eyes opened to reveal light brown irises and glowing red pupils. As his eyes opened, his weapons and sheath vanished leaving only his current attire. The destruction caused by the fighting had repaired itself and everyone's injuries have vanished. Cloud's blade was back in one piece and Leon found his blade resting in it's holster. Before we could fully register what had happened, a small disk-shaped object emerged from the boy's coat and stopped before him. As the glow from the boy's eyes faded, a radiant light engulfed the disk and grew until it faded, leaving a woman in her late teens standing before him with a worried expression on her face. She had fair skin and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a black jump-suit that tightly hugged her figure. Her raven hair shifted slightly as she took a step closer to him.

"Chase?" At the sound of his name the red glow completely vanished and his eyes drooped slightly as he tried to make sense of the situation. Suddenly his eyes widened with a sudden realization and he spoke in a confused manner.

"Quira?" he asked. When she nodded, confirming her identity he took a look around at his surroundings.

"Are you ok?" Quira asked. He looked to her with confusion before responding.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He replied. Quira seemed doubtful but didn't question it further. Instead she decided to glance at their surroundings as well. Chase once again glanced around the room, but stopped once he saw us. His eyes widened slightly in confusion and surprise, as if just realizing we were in the room.

"Umm, Quira?" He looked to her and waited to gain her attention before he continued.

"What's going on?" He asked. "And why is everyone glaring at me like I killed their pets or something?" Quira's face became one of confusion before realization kicked in. She then sweat dropped before responding.

"You were fighting in your sleep again." Looking at everyone's faces, I could see emotions ranging from fear to anger. I could tell that we were all thinking the same thing. _This guy, literally, beat us in his sleep?_

* * *

**Third person POV**

The dark sky seemed to warp and shift do the appearance of figures clad in black coats and boots. The neon-lit streets crawled with creatures of all shapes and sizes as they jumped from shadow to shadow, trying not to be seen. A large castle loomed ominously in the distance, overlooking the hordes of creatures as well as the city itself. With in it's walls, thirteen beings of darkness bicker over beneficial needs. A few miles away stands a skyscraper, from which a powerful being overlooked the city with disgust. "Such a despicable place should be destroyed. Darkness holds no place in our universe. Soon, it's realm and it's inhabitants shall be completely annihilated and the endless war between light and dark shall finally come to an end. The Creator's wish shall finally become a reality."

"With the obliteration of darkness, the realms of twilight and nothingness as well as their inhabitants with cease to exist as well. In the end, all shall be destroyed and light will gain true dominance." replied a gruff voice. The figure didn't need to turn to know who it was. His power levels gave it away.

"What brings you here Devastation?" The figure asked.

"Chronos, I wish to know how you plan to obtain the power to accomplish all of this." Devastation replied. Chronos smiled deviously.

"All will be revealed in due time. I will, however, explain the keys needed for the plan to commence. You do know of the beings of twilight, correct?"

"The guardians?"

"Indeed, they carry with them companions who's origins are of either twilight or nothingness. As such, they are all necessary to our plans."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Beings of neither light nor darkness have the uncanny ability to gain a power far greater than both. In order to gain this power they must strengthen themselves first by understanding the control they have over both light and darkness. Then they begin to develop an all new power, one that that has the potential to surpass another. The power is unique to every individual but the results are extraordinary. Whoever unlocks this power will become an unstoppable source of destruction."

"..."

"So far the only ones who were born with such power are the guardians. Though they have yet to realize their potential, they have already begun unlocking the secrets to using and controlling it. The nobodies known as Roxas and Xion, as well as the prince of darkness known as Vanitas, are also close to developing this power but they still have much to learn. Each and every one of them also carry the keyblade, allowing for a boost in their abilities and knowledge. Because of this, all we will need to do is wait until they obtain the power. Then, when the moment is right, we take that power for our own gain. After which, we will destroy them."

"What of the the informant and the wielders of light?" At this Chronos drew a sinister smirk.

"Leave them be for now. They are playing a great deal to our plan's progress. Void is forming an alliance with Xehanort as we speak. Once all of the pieces are in place, we will speed up the Guardians' progress."

"How?"

"Through agonizing pain."

"I see." was the only response before Devastation vanished through another portal. Seconds later he reappeared in a small room that held nothing more than a desk, a chair and a bed which held the sleeping form of Grimm.

"How is he?" he asked.

"He's been purified. Darkness no longer has a hold over his heart. Our old friend is back to normal." The response came from a woman on the other end of the room. She had long, black hair and vibrant green eyes. She carried a busty figure and wore the same coat as the others'.

"What have you learned?" she asked.

"It's as we feared, he plans to destroy all of it by using the power of the Guardians' themselves. He needs at least three for his plan to work and he has two already. Things aren't looking good." he replied.

"I see. I hope he makes it in time."

"Chase?" She nodded. A moment of silence washed over the room before she spoke once again.

"Marcus, do you think they can pull it off?"

"You mean Jake and his friends?" She nodded once again.

"If they fail to defeat him, then..."

"Relax, Jake and his friends will pull it off. If it's one thing I learned about him, it's that we shouldn't underestimate him. He's a strong kid, he'll be fine Cassy." She nodded slowly before bowing her head.

"I hope your right..."

* * *

**Chase's POV**

"Sorry about that." I stated sheepishly. That must have been the hundredth time I fought someone in my sleep. his was probably worse than all the others combined though. At least those other times there weren't people throwing me he death glare. Then again, those people were unconscious. After what seemed like an hour the boy with gravity defying brown hair and blue eyes was the first to break out of his daze and speak.

"It's ok man, no need for apologies." He stated with a grin. "We were just surprised is all. I'm Sora." The red head walk up next, followed by everyone else.

"I'm Kairi, and the stoic one over there is Riku." she stated pointing to the silver-haired boy a few feet away.

"Leon." said a stoic brunette.

"Hello, I'm Aerith." said a woman in pink.

"I'm Tifa." Stated a woman in black.

"Cid." stated a gruff old man.

"Merlin the wizard, at your service." Said an old man in blue robes.

"I'm Yuffie." stated a ravenette.

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" stated a man with wiled red hair tapping his forehead with two fingers.

"And I'm Micky." Stated a talking mouse.

"Nice to meet you." I replied. "I'm Chase...and this is my partner Quira." I stated pointing to her. She bowed slightly in greeting. I took another look at my surroundings before asking the questions that've been nagging me this whole time.

"Where am I? How did I even get here?"

"This is Merlin's house." Sora stated. "We brought you here when we found you unconscious by the square. You looked pretty beat up."

"Beat up?" It was then that memories of last night flashed through my mind. My eyes slowly widen and a tear trails down the side of my face as I relive the horrid events prior to my arrival here, and I soon realize why I came to this world in the first place.

"Hey man, are you ok?" Riku asked. At the sound of his voice I wiped my face and looked to him with determination.

"Which world is this?" I asked.

"Radiant Garden." He stated.

"Damn." _So it wasn't a dream. He really is...No time to get emotional, I have to find them._

"Thank you for your help, but it looks like I have to go." I stated. The woman, Aerith, looked disappointed.

"Already? But you've only been here for an hour."

"Yeah, we have to get going. Quira and I have some work to do." I stated with a smile as said female made her way over to me. Leon, Yuffie, Cid and Merlin had vanished a while ago.

"Before you go, can you at least tell us where you came from?" Sora asked.

"That's kinda a long story." I replied.

"Then take a seat, we've got time." suggested Kairi. The others nodded in agreement. Quira and I looked to each other before she smiled and went to sit down. I sighed, knowing I had lost, and went to sit beside her.

"Start by telling us where your from." Tifa stated.

"I'm from a place called The Darklands."

"Darklands?" Kairi asked.

"Yes. They are a series of different worlds that reside within the realm of darkness."

"Are you saying that you came from one of these worlds?" Riku asked. I nodded.

"How is that possible I thought the only things that were capable of living there were the heartless." At this I chuckled a little.

"I'm not surprised that you don't know about them, being from the realm of light and all. There should should be records of their existence somewhere hidden in among the worlds if you want more information, but all I can tell you is that there are worlds among the other realms as well as the realm of light. Naturally this includes the realms of twilight and nothingness as well."

"If that is true, than how is it that those who have explored the realms haven't been able to locate them?" Tifa asked.

"The reason is simple. The worlds themselves lie at the very heart of the realm of darkness, making the darkness around the worlds themselves act as a barrier and a maze that prevents outsiders from trespassing. The same goes for the worlds that exist within the realms of twilight and nothingness. The reason for this is because each world contains an incredible source of power. In order to protect this power, each world has chosen their own Guardian to protect them. Despite all of these defenses however, a group of people have managed to break though to some of the worlds and reek havoc where ever they tread. They gained the power to destroy the worlds entirely and they would have done just that if they had not become trapped themselves. They only way for them to escape would be to gather the energy needed to open the door."

"Open the door?" Sora asked caustically, as if already anticipating my answer.

"Kingdom Hearts." I replied. "You already know of the legend on how the worlds were separated I assume you already know how to travel between worlds in the realm of light. It works the same for the worlds in the other realms as well, but the realms are never allowed to cross one another, lest immeasurable disaster occur. The only way to prevent this, is to use the power of kingdom hearts to travel safely to the other realms. Though I don't understand how, the door was opened at least twice, allowing for the destructive beings to travel through the realms and gather an army." At this point Sora and his friends held a look of dread on their faces.

"Are they the source of the power Yen Sid felt?" Riku asked.

"Who?"

"A powerful wizard who sensed some strong enemies enter our realm a few days back." He explained. I nodded.

"It's possible." I replied. "They call themselves the Destroyers."

"Is that how they got here?" Kairi asked. I shook my head.

"Somehow, by traveling through the realms they have developed enough power to pass through the realms on their own." I stated. "They're the reason I came to this world. A few hours ago, my world was attacked by the army the Destroyers have created. We fought back, but in the end I was the only one to escape with my life. I came here to look for someone who can help. Last time I checked, he was on this world." As I finished I stood up and waited as Quira returned to her disc form and returned to my pocket before heading for the door.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but I have to get going." I stated.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sora asked. I shook my head.

"Thank's, but you've done enough as it is." I replied.

"A least let us help you search." suggested Micky. "Kairi, Axel and I will go with you, the rest of you can get a good rest."

"Sounds good" Riku stated.

"What do you say, can we join you?" Kairi asked. _Something tells me they won't take 'no' for an answer._

"Sure." I consented. With that we headed out the door.

* * *

**Jake's POV**

After three hours of searching Jay, Vanitas and Joseph decided to head back. I decided to keep searching so they sent Roxas to help me. After another half hour of getting nowhere in our search, I figured that it would be the best time to learn about the stoic boy.

"Hey Roxas?" When I saw that I had his attention I continued. "How did you get involved in all of this?" For a while he didn't respond. Then he stops in his tracks and when I reach him he replied in a somewhat broodily manner.

"I used to be...a Nobody." He stated. "That's all you need to know for now." He began walking again and as I started to follow a small sound seemed to cut through the air before a flaming Chakram stabbed the ground before our feet. Not a second later, a familiar voice shouted at us.

"Stop right there." I turned around slightly to see the owner of the voice had been that red head from earlier. She seemed to have three friends with her. It was four against two. Now, a normal person would drop to their knees and do as she asked. Unfortunately, i'm not normal and neither was Roxas. There was an alleyway on our right and as soon as they took a step towards us we dipped into it, pulling our hoods on as we did so. We could hear footsteps chasing after us as we ran down the alleyway and onto another street. From there we ran down the street until we reached another alleyway on the left and kept going until we reached a tunnel.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. Sorry for the wait.**


	18. Chapter 17

**disclaimer: i do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Bleach, 7-Ghost, or any other anime or games involved in this story.**

* * *

**Legend of the Guardians**

**Chapter 17: Trapped**

**Jake's POV**

_..._

_"I used to be...a Nobody." He stated. "That's all you need to know for now." He began walking again and as I started to follow a small sound seemed to cut through the air before a flaming Chakram stabbed the ground before our feet. Not a second later, a familiar voice shouted at us._

_"St__op right there." I turned around slightly to see the owner of the voice had been that red head from earlier. She seemed to have three friends with her. It was four against two. Now, a normal person would drop to their knees and do as she asked. Unfortunately, i'm not normal and neither was Roxas. There was an alleyway on our right and as soon as they took a step towards us we dipped into it, pulling our hoods on as we did so. We could hear footsteps chasing after us as we ran down the alleyway and onto another street. From there we ran down the street until we reached another alleyway on the left and kept going until we reached a tunnel._

_..._

As we ran we soon found ourselves in an intricate labyrinth of tunnels under the city. Though I had no idea where we were headed, Roxas seemed to know the area well and we soon found ourselves on the other side of the city. As we exited the tunnel system we made our way to a nearby string of houses that led uphill to a nearby terrace. _M__an, this place is weird. _Before we got to the last house, however, four figures jumped from a nearby rooftop and landed before us. We turned around and started to head back only to see the four from before blocking that path. They had us trapped. We stood back to back, Roxas faced the guys chasing us while I faced the newcomers.

"What do we do now?" I whispered.

"We need to find a way to get back to the others, but first we have to lose these guys." At this I felt my lips break into a small smirk as I came up with a plan.

"Is that all? And here I thought we were in trouble."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Maybe, get ready for a distraction." As we spoke, the people who trapped us slowly made their way over to us. Soon they formed a complete circle with a ten foot radius. Their weapons had us pinned in the center.

"Don't move! Just stay where you are and we won't hurt you."

The one who had spoken was a man dressed in black with brown hair and a gun-blade pointed at my forehead. Did I already mention how horrible I am at obeying orders? I closed my eyes and called on the power within me. Once I felt the energy swell, I unleashed it. I opened my eyes and swung my arms out, releasing a shock wave that threw back the newcomers. Not a second later, a flash of light shined behind me and I knew he took care of our followers. With the way ahead cleared, we made a break for the terrace before I used my wind to carry us to what looked like a castle undergoing repairs. Using the chance to rest, I couldn't help but think about the situation. How did they even manage to find us?

"I don't know, but we need to get going. The sooner we get to the others, the better." At his response to my unspoken thought, I looked to him in confusion before nodding my head in agreement. Without another word we began to make our way down the steps when I saw something glinting in my peripheral vision. I stopped and looked to the sky to find a small, glimmering device hovering 30ft above our heads.

"What is that?" At this, Roxas stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me. Seeing this I pointed to the object in the sky and waited as he followed my finger to the object. Whatever it was, I guessed it wasn't good. Seconds later he tore his gaze away from the sky and quickly began to make his way towards me only to be blasted back by a small explosion.

I jumped back up the steps and looked down to find him faced off against two of the people from before. One had spiky red hair and held Chakrams by his sides. The other appeared to be a small mouse with a keyblade. I made to help him but the moment I took a step forward two more jumped from a nearby rooftop and blocked my path. Not knowing what to do, I looked to Roxas to find him starring back. He mouthed a few words and I nodded before taking off and running to the doors of the castle. I burst through them with Tk and kept running.

* * *

**Chase's POV**

Trapped. That's how we felt back in the Orphanage. Trapped and scared. We all felt the same way, my group of friends and I. We hated that place to no end, but non of us hated it more than Jake. Out of all of us, he had it the worst. Every time they would come to our hangout spot to get a test subject, he would volunteer to spare the rest of us the pain. He was the youngest out of all of us and we were his only friends.

We became a family and looked out for each other. He cared about us so much that when they found us the first time, he fought like hell to protect us. Ever since they discovered his power he's been getting the worse of the tests. We knew he was suffering, but when we insisted on stopping him from going through the tests for us, he would just smile and wave us off. He would tell us that we made really happy, that he would go through hell and back if it would keep us smiling and safe. Now here I am, trapping him once again as guilt eats away at my insides.

Leon and I stood there for a while as we waited for the other's to catch up. As it turns out, we didn't have to wait long. Soon Kairi, Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie joined us as we surrounded the entrance. Kairi was the first to reach us with the other's following close behind. As she moved towards the building I could tell by her thoughtful expression that something was on her mind.

"He's in there?" she asked.

"Yes, and we should move in before he can escape." It was Leon who responded. I looked to the device in my hand and watched as it tracked his signal.

"He's moved deep within the castle. Cloud, Yuffie and Tifa should go around back and try to cut him off." As I said this I looked to each in turn and they nodded in response.

"What about him?" Yuffie asked as she pointed to the figure wearing a dark coat.

"Don't worry about it, they can handle him." Leon stated. "Right now we need to focus on the boy's capture. He's strong and it's going to take all we've got to subdue him."

"If we're going to do this, then we should send Tifa or Kairi to reason with him first, or at least try to calm him down. Right now he's scared and if we just charge in there he's going to fight back with everything he has. Our best chance is to wait for him to let his guard down and take him in before he realizes what's going on. Otherwise, we'll be walking away with more than a few bruises." I explained. Everyone nodded and split into their groups. I would be with Leon and we would make our way through the front a few minutes after the girls make it inside. The other's are going to go around back and block off his escape. The whole time I could only hope that this would be enough to draw Him out.

* * *

**Roxas's POV**

"Who are you?"

I didn't respond, instead I looked from Micky to Axel and back again as I tried to find a way out of this mess. It's not that I didn't want to tell them anything. On the contrary, I wanted nothing more then to take my hood off and catch up with my best friend as we sat on the clock tower like in the old days. Unfortunately, because of this new war, I can't. No matter how much I want to ask for their help, I can't let them get involved. So instead, I hide my identity and search for way for us to escape.

"Do you think he's with Xehanort?" It was Axel who had spoken.

"Hmm...No, I on't think so. I don't sense his darkness." Micky responded. As he said this they both seemed to relax a little.

Axel then turned to look at me with a playful smirk. "Should I burn him?" Despite myself, I couldn't help but smirk back a little. A smirk that vanished as soon as it came, however, as I felt a cold shiver make it's way down my spine. That only meant one thing...trouble. Making as little movement as I could possibly manage, I scanned the area for the source of the threat.

"I don't think that's necessary. If he wanted to be our enemy, he would have attacked us by now." Seconds after Micky finished that sentence, both he and Axel tensed and got into their battle stances. At first I thought they were going to attack me so tensed up a little, then I saw their eyes scanning the area as if they were looking for something. It was then that I noticed the sudden change in temperature. It's as if the warmth of the world around us was taken away by a giant hand. I noticed movement in my peripherals and glanced upward to find four figures atop the castle. Three of them look like normal humans, but I could tell that they were the source of the impending darkness. At first I was confused about them, but then I remembered the creatures I fought when the Destroyers mess with the darkness in peoples' hearts. They became nothing short of monsters and if these guys are anything like them, then getting back to the others is the least of our problems.

I felt my eyes widen a little as I looked to the fourth one. The being looked human, but half of his face held a bone mask and there appeared to be a hole in the center of his chest. I could feel an enormous power fluctuating off of his body. If any of them are as dangerous as I think they are, then that guy's the worst. As the thoughts in my head raged, the being looked to us and pointed before turning back to the building. He raised a hand and pointed at a spot in the building. Seconds later an explosion occurred, and when the smoke cleared, only two 'humans' remained. Axel and Micky were staring warily at the building now, their attention drawn by the explosion. They made for a run to the castle, but they only managed to get a few steps in before they spotted the humans and froze. Their expressions went from determined to confused as they tried to get a grasp on the situation. They have no idea on how much danger they're in.

One of the beings disappeared and I knew what would happen next. I have to act fast. I called upon my power and sped to intercept the oncoming attack. Once I'm in front of them I bring up my arm just in time to block a powerful punch, resulting in a shock wave. I glance behind me just to check and see if Micky and Axel are alright, only to be met with looks of shock and disbelief. Turning my attention back on the fight, I took the fist of the attacker and pulled him in close before charging light in my other hand and sending him flying back. To my annoyance, the damn thing flipped itself and landed, feet first, on the ground 20ft away, completely unfazed.

"What's going on here? Aren't they human?" It was Axel who had spoken. As he said this the creature jumped up to the roof to join it's comrade.

I don't know what they're doing here, but if the strong one went after Jake then I can't waste much time fighting these guys. With that in mind I summoned a small orb of light and brought it to my chest. I then reach into it with both hands and brought out twin light Katanas before getting into my battle stance.

* * *

**Jake's POV**

After dashing through a seemingly endless maze of corridors and blasting through several doors to random rooms, I believed I had finally found an exit. In front of me were massive double doors not unlike the first ones I had blasted through, though I can't say that I got a good look at them. What can I say, I was in a rush. I slowly made my way to the door handles, hoping desperately that I had finally found the way out, and went through only to discover that I had entered another chamber of the castle. The room was dimly lit and the light from the door only managed to light up a section of the floor. I could just make out the marble pillars and the wooden floor. There were papers scattered on the floor ahead of me but I couldn't see very much else.

Looking around, I couldn't find any other doorways so I decided to head back the way I came. It was only when I turned around that I realized I wouldn't be leaving this room anytime soon. Two women stood in the doorway, flinching once they realized I had seen them. One of them was the redhead that had saved before_. _The other was a ravenette with long hair and fierce brown eyes. She was wearing all black and her outfit screamed 'fighter'. Sensing a trick, I took a step back and summoned Omega weapon. When the girl saw this she spoke in a soft voice.

"It's ok, we don't want to hurt you. We just want to talk." When I didn't respond she continued.

"We didn't get introduced last time. I'm Kairi..." She said placing a hand over her chest. "And this is Tifa." The ravenette gave a warm smile. As she spoke the two of them took a few cautious steps towards me. Once they were completely inside the room I tensed and got into a battle stance. They may be acting nice, but the're still the ones who trapped me in here. When they kept getting closer I threw a blade if wind at their feet, warning them to stop. Their eyes widened a little and they stopped moving.

"If you didn't want to hurt me then why separate me from my friend? Why trap me?" As I said this I felt some energy slip through my fingers and a gust of wind carried some papers around the room. The women saw this and tensed up before responding.

"We needed to get close enough to talk to you. This is the only way we can talk without being disturbed." It was Tifa who had spoken. When I didn't respond she continued.

"A great wizard spoke of a threat that endangers the realm of light. He said that you were the only ones who can help us." At this I couldn't help but stare at her. Is she serious? When she finished, I couldn't help but think about how weak the warriors of light must be. Wouldn't you? I mean, if the realm light's best chance of surviving the Destroyers' onslaught was a few kids that were barely in their teens, I'd think that it's already screwed. At this I couldn't help but chuckle a little. No matter which way you look at it, this is a pretty fucked up situation. Kairi shot me a confused look when she saw my amusement.

"What's so funny?" She asked slowly.

"The fact that you think we have the power to stop it. I don't know if you've noticed this the last time we met, but I don't have that kind of power. It took all I had just to beat those thugs. To top it all off, I'm only thirteen. Do you honestly believe a bunch of kids can help you?"I stated. She and her friend looked far from convinced. It was only when she spoke again that I understood why.

"You say that your not strong, yet you still managed to defeat four of our strongest fighters. Two of which were keybearers."

She has me there. Even though I was able to beat them, it still took a lot of energy. I could tell they were strong the moment they arrived on that strange ship. On top of that two of them were keybearers and being a keybearer myself, I know how strong they can be. For all I know, they could have been holding back. If they had fought seriously, then I would've lost...wait. How does she even know about that? I never told her and I'm damn sure she wasn't there when it happened. My thoughts are suddenly interrupted as an image of a man with brown hair and a gunblade flashes through my head. That man, I see. They must have been her friends. That also explains why he was with them when they trapped me. I wonder how he got a new sword.

"That man with the gunblade. He's the one that told you?" Even though I knew the answer, I had to ask to be sure. She nodded, her face full of determination.

"I see." I stated softly. Though that explained a lot, there's still something I don't get. Hoping she would give me some answers, I voiced my next thoughts out loud.

"There's still something I just don't understand." I stated. When she gave me a look of confusion I continued.

"If that man told you about that fight, than you must already know how powerful I am. Knowing this, you must also know of how dangerous I can be, considering that it was your friends I defeated. You must have seen the wounds I had inflicted on them. Yet, despite all of that, you still come seeking my aid. Why?"

Yeah, that question has been on my mind this entire time. I mean, anybody else would have hunted me down for revenge, not assistance. None of this made sense. They already know about what I did to their friends, I could have killed them. Yet, here they are asking for my help as if nothing had happened. Either they're in a lot more trouble than I had originally thought, or something bigger is going on. As I looked to the women in font of me, I see nothing but determination in their eyes.

"You're not a bad person." Tifa stated.

"How do you know that? How do you know that I'm not part of the very threat that you seek to stop? You've seen what I can do to our friends. How do you know I won't do the same to you?" I smirked a little for effect. Their determination didn't waver.

"You won't hurt us." Kairi stated matter-of-factly.

"How do you know?"

"Why didn't you kill him?" Tifa countered. At this the smirk fell off my face as curiosity and confusion took over.

"The blond man with the massive sword is called Cloud. He was one of the people you fought." As she said this a man with steel blue eyes, blond hair and a massive sword flashed across my mind.

"He's my best friend. When I saw him with the wound you inflicted I thought he was going to die, but then we noticed something strange about the wound." She then looked to Kairi, who nodded back before continuing.

"The sword went straight through but it didn't hit any vital organs, nor was the wound fatal in any other way. Not only that but the wound had been closed around the sword as to keep him from bleeding to death. When we asked the keybearers about it, they said that they had seen you use healing magic on the wound but thought they had imagined it."

"You could have let him die or finished him of during the fight, but instead you let him live. You wouldn't have done that unless you were a good person."

"Maybe I took pity on him and decided to let him live. That doesn't prove I'm a good person."

"If you're so bad then why did you save me afterwards?" When She saw that I couldn't respond she smiled before she continued.

"You could have just left us at the hands of those thugs but you chose to help us. Not only that but when we were attacked you put up a barrier so that we wouldn't get hurt."

"Maybe I didn't want you interfer..."

"Then when I escaped you used your body as a shield." At this last sentence I felt my eyes widen as the words I held died in my throat. Even now, I still can't understand why I had done that. Noticing my expression, the women smiled warmly in understanding before Kairi continued.

"You may be strong and you may be capable of harm, but in the end your still have the heart of a child. Your too innocent to be corrupted." As I thought about her words, I realized that she was right. During all of those fights, somehow I knew that I didn't really want to hurt them. Even in the battle with Grimm, I knew that deep down, the being I was fighting to destroy wasn't Grimm, but the monster the darkness had created within him. Something warm seemed to trickle down my cheek. Using my right hand, I touched my face to find it wet. I was crying. But, I didn't know why.

Looking down I found that I was sitting on the floor now. The wind had died a while ago and the room was silent save for a set of footsteps that grew ever closer. Once the sound had stopped there was some shuffling and when I raised my head I found that Kairi sat in front of me. I felt a pair of hands snake around my head before guiding me back to the floor. Choosing not to resist, I soon found myself resting on Tifa's lap. She smiled warmly and I couldn't help but smile in return. Finding this setting of peace to be too tempting to resist, I closed my eyes, hoping to enjoy a short nap in this moment of peace. I could hear the sound of more footsteps as more people entered the room. There was some whispering, but nothing I could pick up. As the voices and footsteps grew closer though, I began to make out some of the words.

"Are you ok? Did he cause you any trouble?" said a voice.

"No, it's fine now." That sounded like Kairi.

"Good, maybe now we'll be able to get a lead on what's going on." That voice...Leon?

"Is he ok? You didn't hurt him did you?" That voice...it sounds so familiar.

"He's fine, just a little tired. He's sleeping."

"That's good." That's all I heard before I tuned the rest out, simply enjoying the rest I was getting. That rest was short lived, however, because in the next moment my eyes burst open as I sense a powerful presence near by. Knowing what might happen next, I used my wind to gently lift me from Tifa's lap and land in an open area 5ft away. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I searched the room for the intruder. Minutes of tense silence had passed before someone had spoken.

"What's wrong?" It was Kairi.

"They're here." I responded.

"Who?" Leon asked.

"The Destroyers." Another voice answered. It was the voice from before, the one that sounded so familiar. The sound footsteps echoed around the room before stopping by my side. Looking to my right, I found myself staring at a familiar face that I hadn't seen in a long time.

"It's you!" I exclaimed. Chase simply smiled before responding.

"Yeah, it's been a while. It may not be the time for a nice reunion, but I've got your back." Chase then looked to his chest.

"Quira, put up a barrier around the others." He stated.

"Understood." A new voice responded. Not a second later the sound of a barrier forming filled the room.

"How are you...?"

"I'll explain everything later, but right now we need to focus on staying alive." He barely had time to finish his sentence before an explosion sent part of the ceiling down on us. Another barrier was brought up to protect us from the falling debris, but our visibility lessened do to the dust and crumbling rocks. Light poured in from the hole in the opening, lighting up the room. The room looks like an old study, with paintings that lined the walls and a desk at the far end, cluttered with papers. The room was fairly large and there were documents everywhere. I only had a moment to observe all of this before the smoke cleared and I had to focus to two figures in front of us. I knew we were in trouble the moment I saw the bone mask.

He was different from the one I had fought before. He was wearing pair of white pants and a white jacket that seemed it would be too small to fit him. He had blue hair and the most intense eyes I had ever seen. His mask only covered the right half of his face. It started at the edge of his lips and stopped at his jawline. There was power pulsing from his body, though not as much as the guy from before. Looking next to me, I could tell that Chase new how dangerous this guy is. His face was serious and he looked tense.

"Grimmjow, I didn't expect them to send you." Grimmjow merely turned his intense stare to Chase and snapped his fingers before responding.

"They didn't." There was movement and Omega weapon flashed into my right hand out of reflex, but it was too late. An hand made from dark energy grabbed Chase and sent him crashing threw the wall before the owner of said hand raced after him.

"Chase!" I made to run after them, but I was cut off by Grimmjow. His intense gaze focused on me.

"Get out of my way!" I yelled. When he didn't respond I brandished my keyblade and made to strike, only to find myself rooted to the spot. For some reason, I couldn't move. It's like my body refused to listen to my brain. It was only when Grimmjow appeared next to me that I understood why. My eyes widened with the realization that I was feeling something that I thought I couldn't feel: terror. I was scared, so afraid that I couldn't move and the cause of it was standing right next to me. It wasn't because of his power or the way he looks. It was in his eyes, something he gave off the moment he entered the room. It radiated from his body but I couldn't feel it until now. A feeling that would cause most to go crazy with blood lust. A feeling that had caused the annihilation of worlds and lives. The urge to destroy everything in sight. The urge to kill.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. sorry I took so long, I've been trying to correct the other chapters of the story. Fair warning, I might post this as a longer chapter later.**


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